Animorphs 54: The Beginning - Only, ya know, happier
by JTJames
Summary: What if Tobias manned up and didn't let the love of his life give up her own? My take on the Beginning. Maybe Tobias enlisted some help and did everything possible to save his love. No supernatural, no Ellimist, just some good ol' moxie. I'd love to do a re-write of 54 based on an upbeat version so let me know what you think. Enjoy. *UPDATED* Chapters 36 - 42 added.
1. Won't Let Her Die - Chapters 1 - 9

A/N Typical stuff. I in no way, shape, or form own the Animorphs though I love them unconditionally...Except for #54. Damn #54. I won't be making any cash from this, so please don't sue, cause trust me, it won't net you anything. Enjoy. And please R/R!

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**Chapter 1**

**********Tobias:**

I watched, half-mesmerized, half-numb as Ax ran nimble fingers over holographic screens and physical controls. Jake watched from just beside. Jake, his _Prince_, our fearless leader, who had ordered his cousin on a suicide mission. Who had ordered the only girl who ever loved me, the only _person_ who had ever loved me, on a suicide mission. I had every dark emotion possible roiling through me at that thought and right then and there, I made myself a promise: If Rachel dies, she won't be the only one.

{There is a flush sequence,} Ax said. {I have to override the safety protocols.}

He swiveled his stalk eyes towards Jake and kept his main eyes and fingers trained on the controls.

{It can be done.}

{Okay,} Jake said.

{The pool is full to capacity. These are the Yeerks that were rescued from the earth-based Yeerk pool. Plus the bulk of the unhosted Yeerks recently transported here.}

{Some reason you're telling me all this, Axman?}

{Jake, there are seventeen thousand, three hundred seventy-two Yeerks in this pool.}

I whistled silently. Seventeen thousand? I glanced at Jake and could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He wouldn't? Would he? And I knew at that moment he would. The war had changed Jake. In some ways more than the rest of us. And I knew the Jake I was looking at wasn't the one who pulled my head out of a toilet or found his greatest joy in beating Marco at video games. This was the Jake who'd sent in the auxiliary Animorphs as cannon fodder for a distraction. This was the Jake who'd sent his cousin on a suicide mission to kill his brother. And this was the Jake who was about to sentence seventeen thousand sentient creatures, Yeerks admittedly, but sentient none-the-less, to the freezing void.

{Flush them.}

**Chapter 2**

{Let's go.}

The others started out the door as if speed would erase the memory.

{Ax!} I said privately.

He turned to me, keeping his stalk eyes on the retreating backs of our friends. {Yes Tobias? What is it? We must continue.}

{No Ax, we must not. We have to save her.}

{Tobias, I understand your distress but Pri-...Jake and the others need us. There may be coded doors or-}

{No Ax, they don't, _she_ does. If there's any codes Marco will resort to his patented punch-it-till-it-opens technique.}

{The Yeerks could still fight, Tobias, please-}

{No Ax!} I whispered fiercely, desperately. {There won't be a fight. They just saw seventeen thousand of their people flushed into space. I didn't agree, but I understood. It's demoralizing Ax. You're a _warrior_, what would you do if you saw your force go from eighteen thousand to three hundred in ninety seconds?}

{I would fight!} Ax declared defiantly, though there was a catch at the end, as if he understood where the point lay.

{That's because you're a _warrior_ Ax. What would you do if you were a parasite?}

{I-I would...find a way to save myself. I would negotiate.}

{Listen to me, have I ever steered you wrong? You helped me rewire the bomb against the Mercora, a species that only tried to help us, because we knew it was right! I helped you launch a jet with a nuke, against our leader's orders, aimed for _my own_ hometown, an act that would've killed tens of thousands of innocents, because we knew it was right! Ax, help me save her - _this is right!_}

I was praying Andalite logic would hold fast in the situation but Ax had spent a lot of time with humans, and with me especially so I wasn't above trying the emotional side.

{Ax, listen to me, you're my _shorm_ so try to understand, Rachel is _everything_ to me. If she dies I may as well launch myself out the nearest airlock because I'll be dead already. I need her to save me and I need you to save her!}

Ax took one last look at our friends rushing down the corridor and gave a resigned sigh. {All right Tobias. What do we do?}

**Chapter 3**

We raced desperately towards what Ax thought would be the nearest hangar bay, me struggling through dead air in the hallways, his delicate hooves clip-clopping as he galloped along the steel floor. The bay was close enough thank God. We launched ourself into the closest Bug fighter and I went Hork-Bajir in case Ax needed any assistance. I outlined the plan as we rose from the bay floor.

{Look, by now the others will have noticed we're not with them. They'll stop, confused for a bit, Cassie arguing they have to come back for us, Marco arguing they have to continue to the bridge, catch the Visser while he's off-guard, but Jake's smart. He knows me, he knows you, and he knows himself. He knows where I'm going and he knows I dragged you with me. We have a headstart. If we don't want to be found, we won't be. And time wasted on us is time for the Yeerks to regroup. He'll deliberate it but not for long, so that buys us another two minutes, max.}

I figured we had fifteen maybe twenty minutes tops and I thanked the laws of physics for the speed we gained in vacuum. I watched the starry emptiness fill the viewscreen as Ax took us out of the bay and away from the Pool Ship, turning towards the Blade Ship. Towards Rachel.

{They'll find the Visser, who has to know he's defeated by now and inform his of his betrayal by Tom if he doesn't already know.}

We raced towards the Blade Ship, blacker than black. A sight which had once filled me with unspeakable dread now gave me the greatest of hope.

{Either way Tobias, Jake cannot allow the Blade ship to escape, carrying Yeerks with a morphing cube, not even if he suspects we are there as well,} Ax pointed out.

{No, I know. They'll aim for the engines, but what do you think the odds of hitting the engines of a ship as fast as the Blade Ship with the Pool Ship's Dracon deams are?}

{Slim-to-none, is the term you humans prefer, I believe,} Ax said dryly.

My heart raced as we neared the Blade Ship. I knew we were already taking a chance, even approaching from an oblique angle but I was counting on their focus on the Pool Ship to prevent them from noticing and blasting an approaching Bug Fighter.

{Exactly, so Jake will send in Rachel. Now the only reason Rachel will stand a chance of stopping all this in the first place is because -}

{Tom's Yeerk will contact the Visser, to gloat in person before killing him,} Ax said, the realization dawning on him.

{Right. All eyes on that Blade Ship are forward. Now as far as Tom knows, he's won, Jake's dead, only thing left is the Visser. Maybe he notices Jake right away, maybe not, but as soon as he does he'll want him dead, gloating be damned. Which means we're running out of time.} Desperation tinged my voice. {Do you have anywhere remotely close to the bridge to dock this thing?}

Ax smiled at me the way only an Andalite can. {I believe I have the perfect spot, not far aft of the bridge, perhaps fifty feet} Ax explained, {The Visser was always very careful about potential dangers inside when docking. The port on the long, narrow part between the bridge, the handle I believe you refer to it as, and the rest of the ship allowed him to land as close to the bridge as possible. To minimize the danger of ambush on the off chance of infiltration.}

{Is that section important?}

{The section closest to the bridge can be detached from the rest of the Blade Ship and function independently in times of extreme emergency, the Visser always had a plan to save himself if need be. It can be stationed but barring impending conflict, there is no need to do so.}

{Numbers?}

{Under the Visser? A guard detail of perhaps four or six. Under Tom, I do not know.}

{And on the bridge with Rach- Tom?}

Ax swiveled one stalk eye towards me. {Most likely Tom himself, and perhaps a half-dozen others for weapons, comms, navigation etc.}

{Seven on one? She won't hesitate.}

{No,} Ax said, a grim smile forming in his thoughtspeech, {She will not. However given the placement of the docking, we should face a bare minimum of the hundred on board.}

{And the Visser's paranoia is our saviour yet again.} I smiled the vicious Hork-Bajir smile as I began to demorph. I needed to be big enough to matter, but small enough to get around - I needed polar bear. Another minute, and we'd be docked. Another minute and I could keep Rachel alive. Another minute and I could save her. And myself.

The space nearby lit-up and the Blade Ship danced away as a Dracon Beam split the darkness. A miss.

{No!} I cursed as distance was lost and time with it. Ax swore as well, though whether from the loss of time or the fact we'd narrowly avoided a Dracon beam the size of a tree trunk was hard to determine, and edged the fighter back towards the Blade Ship. We had almost locked docking clamps when I heard the words I'd been terrified of hearing. The words that I'd been praying not to hear since we took off. Jake's words.

{Rachel. Go.}

{NO!}

**Chapter 4**

**Rachel:**

{Rachel. Go.}

{NO!} I heard Tobias' thought-speech cry, louder than I expected but I took it as a measure of his grief. God, what have I done?

{I know Tobias,} I whispered. {I know.}

I had decided on grizzly. He was an old friend of mine, he'd help me to do what needed to be done, to kill Tom.

I was still not completely morphed when someone shrieked. "Animorph!"

After all these years of the Yeerks thinking we were Andalites, always yelling "Andalite!" whenever they saw a morph. It was strangely gratifying that at last they knew who we were.

I said, {That's right, genius: Animorph.}

I did what I do better than anyone. What Jake counted on me to do. I attacked.

**Chapter 5**

I charged straight for Tom, on all fours, head down, an express train of muscle and fur, claws and teeth. I hit him with my lowered head and knocked him back into the viewscreen. Not enough to take Tom out, but I had to try and damage the ship.

Tseeew!

Someone fired a Dracon beam. I felt the searing pain in my right flank but it didn't matter. I was in berserk mode. Pain was something that could be stored up for later. Right now I was an enraged bear. I slammed a shoulder left, slammed a shoulder right and felt crumpling metal.

Tom yelled, "No shooting! You'll destroy the bridge! Morph! Morph you idiots!"  
I swung a paw at him, and it should have been all over right then, but I missed. He dropped and I missed. I reared up to my full height and Tom rolled into a ball. He was down under my legs. I swiped his back and laid his spine open. But I didn't stop him. He was through my legs and behind me and staggering toward the exit. I spun, dropped to all fours and bounded to cut him off. I reached the exit a split second before him and shouldered him aside in the process. He spun like a top and fell on his butt. I was in a clumsy stance so I just sort of dropped on him. It was like some WWF body slam, only I wasn't faking it. He grunted and I saw blood gush from his nose and mouth.

Too easy.

My final battle. It couldn't be this easy. I drew back, ready to go in and finish the job. But I had wasted too much time. There were others on the bridge. And I had overlooked the fact that we were no longer the only ones who could morph. Every member of Tom's hand-picked crew could morph, and I was surrounded now by a half dozen half-morphed beasts. Tom himself was starting to morph, but he wasn't my main problem now.

{Rachel! Behind!}

It was Jake. He was watching the fight from the Pool ship. I spun, slashed horizontally and something that may have been a half-morphed leopard crumpled like a Dixie cup. The main weapons station was right there, a sort of waist-high, freestanding lectern. I threw myself back into it and heard a nice crunch as it toppled. But that was more seconds lost while the Yeerks were completing their morphs. All but Tom. His scarred back was crusting over with reptilian scales, but he was nothing recognizable yet. And in any case, I had plenty to keep me busy. I faced two lionesses, a cape buffalo, and a polar bear. It was a whole zoo full of dangerous animals. The polar bear was my equal all by himself. The cape buffalo maybe as well. I could take either lioness, but the combination was going to be rough.  
For a wondrous, frozen moment we all waited, stared, breathed, tensed, expectant.

I felt. . .

I felt exalted. It was my moment. This was my place and my time and my own perfection. I was no longer afraid. Weird. If I'd had a mouth I'd have smiled.

{Well?} I said. No one moved.

{Scared?} I asked. No answer.

{You should be,} I said, almost laughing. I lunged, straight for the polar bear. Go for the main opponent first. Go for the danger. I barrelled straight into him. It was a train crash. I slammed him, my shoulder into the side of his head. He had a bear morph. I was my bear morph. Experience is very helpful. The polar bear staggered. I extended my claws and in a move no real bear had ever learned, I drove them straight into him, like four daggers, right beneath the front right shoulder: the heart. I hit him again before the cape buffalo slammed me and knocked me, windless, rolling into the bulkhead. The buffalo backed up and came at me again, the wide, thick horns like a battering ram. But the beast's hooves were designed for dirt and grass, not the slippery floor. He didn't fall but he  
lost a lot of speed and momentum. He hit me in my exposed belly. It would have killed me if he'd been up to speed. Even so it crushed the last ounce of air from my lungs. I felt like someone had dropped a house on me.

A lioness was on my face, clawing madly, like a crazed alley cat. The other one was trying to bite my neck — a waste of time. No one bites through a grizzly's fur. I was down, buried under mad fur. I was down, slashed at, punched, hammered, clawed. My legs were in the air, helpless! I drew my legs close and shifted my weight. Got my legs under me. I lifted myself and the two lions. I shook myself violently and threw off the lion who'd been on my face. I aimed a blow at her but she was too fast. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the polar bear demorphing. It's the only way when your morph body is dying: demorph and fast. Die in morph and you're dead. Period. But I was missing something. Something nagged at me...

{Tom!} Jake yelled. {Tom!}

The cape buffalo butted me in the hindquarters and spun me around. The lion on my back was reaching around like it was trying to strangle me, digging busy claws into the folds of loose skin around my throat. The second lion charged gamely, leaped and sank its teeth into my left haunch. Had to take down the Yeerk with the polar bear morph. Had to stop him remorphing. I'd been lucky once, experience had told. But I couldn't count on a second easy win against a polar bear. I tried to stagger forward, but the buffalo had done some damage now. My hindquarters were numb and weak. He was hitting me with short, sharp blows, like a boxer rabbit-punching. He'd figured out that he couldn't really wind up and deliver a killing blow.

{Tom! Rachel, Tom! Look out for Tom!} Jake's voice was far away. Strange. The slick floor that handicapped the buffalo now worked against me, too. I couldn't get enough traction with my blood-slicked pads. Had to get the Yeerk with the polar bear morph. He was demorphed now. Ready to start morphing and come back rejuvenated. So heavy. Floor all covered in blood. Wow, they were really bleeding. My front right leg suddenly buckled. It was a pail of ice water in my face, a sudden realization. My blood. That was my blood on the floor. White fur began to ripple across the morphing Yeerk.

{He's a snake!} a voice cried. {Rachel!}

No, he's a bear, I thought. A flash of movement, so fast it was a blur. Something in my eyes! Burning. I couldn't see. That's okay, okay, bears can't see alt that well anyway, I had . . . I had . . .  
A cobra, some distant, strange, analytical part of my brain noted. Tom's morph: a cobra. The venom was in my eyes. I couldn't think. Couldn't see. Demorph.  
No. Bear. The lions on me. Weak. Strange to be the bear and be weak.  
Strange.  
I realized I was no longer standing. I was flat on the floor. I heard my own slow breathing. I should be panting. Something striking at my face again and again.  
The cobra. Couldn't even see him. I had failed. Tom. Alive.

{Die, human,} he said. {Just die.}

{Help me, Tobias,} I pleaded.

{Rachel! Rachel, hold on just a bit longer!}

{Tobias, please.}

{Arrrggghhh, RACHEL!}

I heard the sound of more large animals in the hallway. Reinforcements I was sure, coming to protect their leader. Ah, sorry boys, but I think you missed the party.

{Help me get him. Help me get Tom!}

{Rachel!} Marco's voice? Strange, why wasn't Tobias helping? {Rachel! He's . . . your left paw, toward  
your face. Get ready. Has to be fast.}

{l'm ready.}

{Now!}

I jerked my paw, claws extended toward my face.  
Tom shrieked. I couldn't see him. But I felt something squirming. Like a worm on a fishhook. The snake was impaled on my claws.

{No!} Tom cried in outrage.

I brought my paw to my mouth.

{Sorry,} I said vaguely.

{Jake, stop her!} the Yeerk screamed with Tom's voice.

I bit down on the snake.

I lay there in suspended animation.

I felt myself floating.

The bear was melting. Old grizzly bear, my friend. Good old bear. I demorphed. The snake was still in my mouth. Motionless. I demorphed.  
I was Rachel again, the human Rachel, alive, unhurt. I could have bounded up and gone off to the mall to shop. But I didn't kid myself. I didn't hope.  
I spit the snake out. I was surrounded on all sides. I was only a weak human girl now. The polar bear loomed over me, his strength the equal of my own grizzly, but now I was just me, just Rachel. I could see the viewscreen. I could see my best friend Cassie. Jake. Marco, funny Marco.

But where was Tobias? Oh no, oh nonononono. I knew I should've done it when I had the chance. I knew I should've said it.

"I love you."

And now I was going to die, and the only boy I'd ever kissed, ever loved, would never get to hear me tell him.

{RACHEL!}

I glanced around the room, the lioness was struggling to her feet against her wounds, beginning to demorph. The buffalo was trying to stand on hooves and a deck slippery with blood, also starting to demorph. Between them I saw the cabin door slide open. Ah the reinforcements. No fun for you today. Another polar bear bounded through. Already bloodied up. Hmm, maybe he'd already had some fun. Jeez, two polar bears? I was flattered but come on. Kind of overkill. Had I not begun to immediately refocus on the bear on his hind legs above me, I might've seen what followed.

The bear loomed over me, and though I wasn't eager, I at least felt a sort of peace. Maybe this is what understanding finality feels like.

{You fight well human.}

And his paw came down.

**Chapter 6**

{NOOOOOO!}

RWWOOOAARRR!

A primal roar and a thoughtspeech voice that I recognized cried out in unison and the bear standing over me was suddenly launched forward as he was hit by the freight train of the second from behind, his swing doing little more than leaving some shallow claw marks in my shoulder. I rolled away and leaned up against a console, shimmying away from the colossi that battled to my left.

{Hello, Rachel. I'm glad to see you still alive,} Ax said calmly as walked through the open door and quickly dispatched the half-morphed lioness and buffalo. Not a terribly difficult job given the advantage of surprise against two opponents in mid-morph. His gaze landed on the enormous combatants at the helm. {Do you know which one is Tobias?}

"Tobias," I whispered, looking back as two monsters raged at one another. Oh God, if we got out of this I'd never stop telling him how much I loved him. I wanted to morph and join in but by now both bears were so bloody as to be indistinguishable from one another. They circled, biting, roaring, swiping. It went back and forth for a few moments until WHAM!  
A quick paw connected with the side of one's head, smashing it back into the console.  
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Three more and the bear was down as sparks flew from the console. The one still standing rose up on it's hind legs, put both front paws together, and dropped with a sickening crunch, as nine hundred pounds smashed a skull into paste. Then he did it again. And again. Oh please don't let it be...

{AAARRRGGGGGHHHHH!} Tobias bellowed as he dropped again, and again, on a body that was already beginning to look like little more than a messy pulp.

"Tobias!" He ignored me. Whatever state he was in, he wasn't hearing anything else.

{Tobias, please, that is enough!} Ax pleaded from behind me.

"Tobias!"

Again.

"Tobias!"

Again.

"TOBIAS!" A scream finally got through and he stopped. He looked at the blood on his paws and the mess beneath him, then stood to his full nine feet and let out a bellow unlike any I've heard. The sort that would've impressed Jake's tiger.

"Ooookkaayy. Bird-boy's got some rage issues; never threaten Rachel. Lesson of the day kids. Listen well," I heard Marco mutter from over the viewscreen.

"Tobias?"

**Chapter 7**

**Tobias:**

I was the personification of rage.

Ax's estimate of fewer enemies in the neck of the ship had been almost fatally optimistic. Whatever paranoia the Visser had felt, these were Tom's hand-picked yeerks, and he obviously didn't share the same reservations. We lucked out in that the ones present, while maybe not expecting a bug fighter to dock, or perhaps actually expecting one with reinforcements, apparently didn't find it unusual enough to bother morphing. So when a fully grown polar bear and a hated Andalite stepped out, there was something close to panic.

We had always tried our best, to avoid human fatalities where possible, but right now I didn't care. From the moment I heard Jake say, {Rachel. Go.} I seethed. I used the memory of every awful thing that'd ever happened to me as fuel. Every bottle thrown by my uncle, every backhanded slap from my aunt, the moment I realized I was trapped as a hawk, my time spent in a torture cube trapped and alone, the Taxxon's hunger, every burn, every cut, every broken bone, _everything_.

By the time I stepped off that Bug fighter, I could not be contained. I had checked the direction of the bridge and that was where I went, and nothing was stopping me. I bit, slashed, stomped, roared and just generally tore whatever was in my way, out of my way. Swiped obstacles out of my way with enough force to kill with one hit. Later I would learn that I had lucked out. I didn't know if all Tom's chosen Yeerks all had human hosts, but these ones did. And they barely slowed me down. All I saw was red, and all I left was red. Ax clopped along behind me, dispatching any I may have missed but truth be told there weren't many. Most were just beginning to morph or only midmorph by the time I reached them. Inexperienced. Weak. Vulnerable. Helpless.

Enemies.

The only real trouble we faced was just outside the bridge door. Five, fully morphed, and ready to go. A leopard, a lioness, a cougar, a wolf, and a Hork-Bajir. So it seemed cats were popular. Though I found the Hork-Bajir a tad foolish, given how many the Yeerks had seen us dispatch over the years. Ax had caught up with me by this point and gave me a look.

{Well?} he asked.

{Help me, Tobias.} Rachel! Hurt, disorientated. Pleading.

{Rachel! Rachel, hold on just a bit longer!}

{Tobias, please.}

{Arrrggghhh, RACHEL!}

I let out a bellow and charged, Ax right there with me.

In a flash the three cats were on me. Wolf and Hork-Bajir on Ax. I didn't care, I charged right through them. The cougar was more or less directly on my head, the leopard and lioness on either side of me. Tearing as best they could.

The wolf and Hork-Bajir had backed Ax up and I used the small space and my bulk to my advantage. I charged, with the cougar on my head directly into the wall beside the door, hard enough that I heard something snap in it, and it's paws went suddenly limp. I shook, and dislodged the lioness before slamming my body against the wall with the leopard between me and it. Those two would be a moment before they could get repaired and back in the fight but I couldn't waste time.

I heard a yip followed by whimpering. Ax must've gotten his wolf.

The lioness was back on her feet and charged so I did the unexpected and punched straight forward as best I could, catching her with my claws in the face. A move I'd learned from Rachel.

One of my claws must've gone deep enough to hit brain cause she dropped without a sound and I could hear no breathing.

I turned back to the other two cats to find the cougar halfway back into morph and the leopard halfway out. I smashed them both where they stood. I didn't like it. It wasn't fair, but it was efficient. And at that moment, for her, I needed efficiency.

I looked back to see Ax cantering up, his tailblade coated in blue-green blood. He must've got his Hork-Bajir too. He moved to the control pad and his fingers flew over the keys. I stood at the edge ready to leap in.

{Ax! Get this door open!}

{Yes, Tobias, I am working on it, just a moment,} He said tersely.

{No! Not a moment! Now!} I shouted back. {RACHEL!}

**Chapter 8**

The door slid open to a scene of carnage. I vaguely noticed an animal to either side of the door trying to stand and demorph, but they weren't my concern. My concern was Rachel. My concern was the polar bear looming over a blond-haired girl, down but alive. My concern was violence. I charged.

{You fight well, human,} the polar bear said, then he brought down his paw.

{NOOOOOOOO!}

RWWOOAARRR!

My thoughtspeech and berserker roar melded into one as I hit him from behind with all the speed and momentum of a Mack truck.

WHAM! We rolled over and straight into the bulkhead, a small piece of my mind noticed Rachel roll away and I could've sobbed with joy. The rest of my mind was focused on teaching a lesson to the Yeerk who had dared to threaten her. On ending it.

We circled, slashing, roaring, biting, looking for an advantage, any advantage. And then I saw one. Maybe it had been a lifetime of being bullied, or living with a boxing-enthusiast uncle who had no compunctions with demonstrating that enthusiasm on me, but I saw it. He tensed to pull back and I did a short swipe, just enough to crack his head off the console. Enough to stun him, so I could finish him.

WHAM! The stun.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Three more that could've easily been killing blows in themselves. I didn't care. I was fury. Sparks flew from the console as I rose up to my full height, put my paws together into one huge oval and dropped. Heard the crunch, got back up, and dropped again. And again. And again.

{AARRRRGGGHHHH!} I was putting my fear and fury into every blow though they were beyond necessary by that point.

"Tobias!"

Sound is irrelevant. Focus. Kill the bear. Save Rachel.

{Tobias, please, that is enough!}

Kill the bear. Save Rachel.

"Tobias!"

Kill the bear.

"Tobias!"

Save Rachel.

"TOBIAS!" That one got through. I stopped. Looked at my paws. At the mess on the floor that had once been powerful enough to stand a chance in a fight with me. Then I rose to my full height and gave a bellow of the sort I didn't know I could.

"Ooookkaayy. Bird-boy's got some rage issues; never threaten Rachel. Lesson of the day kids. Listen well," I heard Marco mutter from over the viewscreen. I ignored him.

"Tobias?"

I turned and laid eyes on the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

**Chapter 9**

**Rachel:**

Tobias spun on his two back feet then dropped on all fours to face me.

{Oh, God. Rachel? You're hurt,} he said, nodding his massive head in the direction of my shoulder.

He'd just fought through God knows how many morphing controllers to get to me and his first worry is about four little scratches on my shoulder?

"Idiot," I smiled with all the affection I could muster. And before I knew it I had my arms around his enormous neck, my face buried in his bristly hair. I didn't care that someone in this exact morph had almost taken my head from my shoulders a couple minutes ago. I didn't care that I was getting blood from his fur all over my face, shirt, and hair. I cared that it was Tobias. That he was here. And that I finally got to tell him what I should've told him so many months before.

"I love you."

{Oh God, Rachel, I love you too.} I felt him shift as he gingerly raised a paw and wrapped me tight as he dared in his massive embrace.

"Ahahahaheeemmm," Marco coughed over the viewscreen.

Tobias and I disengaged from our hug. Hardly embarrassed but aware that now might not be the best time. I shifted my gaze back to the viewscreen as Tobias began to demorph.

Cassie kept shifting her hands from her mouth to her eyes and back, crying her eyes out and mouthing, 'thank you, thank you' over and over again.

I switched my gaze to Marco who had a grin from ear to ear. "Yeeaahhh Bird-boy! Way to ride in on a blue horse wearing fuzzy white armour and save the day!"

I snatched a quick glance to my right where, much to my joy, Tobias was already halfway to human. But a murderous look appeared on his face as he glanced at the viewscreen-

And then I switched back to focus on Jake. And my heart broke. He had unshed tears in his eyes and a smile on his face that looked both genuine and like he hated wearing it. "You made it cuz," he whispered, "You have no idea how happy I am about that."

Marco gave him a look but shifted his gaze quickly.

"Jake," I began, "Jake, I'm so sorry about Tom. If there had been a way, any way-"

"Rach, please. Tom's free now, in his own way. And you're still here, I couldn't have asked for anything better." He smiled again. Genuine, but sad.

I smiled sadly myself and averted my gaze to the other side of the viewscreen. To see an Andalite behind but standing well within striking range.

No. No!

"Guys, the Visser!"

"Ah, ye of little faith Xena," Marco crowed. "_That_ is no longer Visser One, _he_ is War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. I tapped him on the head, Gorilla-mode of course, he took a nap, we convinced the Yeerk to come on out, and now here we are. Not gonna lie," he winked, "He was pretty stoked about it."

Alloran looked at the view screen and smiled his Andalite smile.

{Elfangor's brother,} he said nodding approvingly at Ax, {and Elfangor's son,} he said nodding with something approaching awe at Tobias. {I look forward to meeting you both. I knew Elfangor well.}

He turned to me, {and you must be the mighty Xena.}

Marco's grin could've probably been measured in feet. Tobias, despite himself, snickered. I sighed, "You can call me Rachel, War-Prince, though I do not blame you for it. Our friend Marco is what we humans call 'an idiot'."

Alloran smiled again, {Yes, I made that assumption after speaking with him.}

Marco's grin disappeared though mine spread all the wider. Tobias outright laughed at that.

{Um. Ahem, my friends, War-Prince,} Ax interjected delicately, shifting on his hooves and seemingly unsure of protocol at the moment, {I do not wish to interrupt, but while Tobias and I were able to...incapacitate twenty-three controllers on the way-}

I shot Tobias a look. Ax's hesitation confused me a bit but still: Twenty-three? Jeez, he really did love me. He looked like he was vibrating with barely suppressed energy and I knew the only reason he had yet to leap over and sweep me in his arms was out of respect for what Jake was going through. I was impressed. I knew what Tobias would've thought of Jake sending me alone, hell, that he'd come for me when he found out, was evidence enough. And I also saw the look of pure murder Tobias had shot at Jake when he'd finally morphed human. But he still held back out of respect. God, I loved him.

{-as well as the seven in here,} Ax continued, {that still leaves approximately seventy morph-capable controllers on this ship with us. I have disabled the door controls to the bridge but I would suggest we dock with the Pool Ship as soon as possible. Those on board would be advised to bring as much security as can be spared. War-Prince Alloran, with all due respect and no offence intended, I know your years spent...recently, have left you with a number of extremely powerful morphs. Though I would by no means ask under ordinary circumstances...}

{These are extraordinary circumstances,} Alloran finished. {I will find one suiting the situation. No offence taken.}

"Dock as soon as you can," Jake declared switching over into leader mode, even with tears in eyes. It was moments like when I remembered why we'd picked him. And why I pitied him most sometimes. Orange stripes were already starting on his skin, "and we'll bring up everybody we have. We'll see you when you get here."

The viewscreen flipped off and Tobias had his arms around me, and his lips against mine so fast I barely had time to draw a breath. We held each other like that for a while before breaking off and just standing there with our faces buried in each other's hair.

"Close," he said.

"Real close. I can't believe you came for me."

He pulled back with a sheepish grin on his face. "Rach, how could you ever think I wouldn't?"

I looked away, both embarrassed that I would think that way and thrilled by his answer. I stammered. I never stammered.

"Uh, I don't know, I mean, I guess, uh, we both knew how we felt, but, it's just-"

{Pardon my interruption,}

_Thank you Ax! _

{But would either of you object were I to take the Blade Ship to dock while you continue?}

"Not at all Ax-man." Tobias grinned.

"And thanks Ax, ya know, for helping Tobias out with the saving me from certain death and all."

{It is not a problem Rachel. I am rather glad you did not die. Besides,} He said, taking his place at the helm, and sweeping a look at us that I _swear_ was a mischevious grin, {he was quite adamant.}

Tobias gave him a look to melt steel while turning about eight shades of red, before turning to me.

"Um, look Tobias," I began, "you deserve to know why I agreed to this. It's just, Jake trusts me, Tom's fam-"

He put a finger against my lips to shush me. "Rachel, you did it for the same reason that I love you. You're Rachel."

I would've cried at that, had he given me time. Instead he pulled me into a quick embrace and quick kiss again before holding me just a bit away.

"Now, seeing as I spent my morning going from thinking you'd be dead by now, to you alive and in my arms, what would you say to dinner tonight? Maybe a fancy restaurant, ya know, the three full course meal sort, the sort that usually takes a few hours..."

He grinned at me as my heart stopped. He'd do it. He'd do it for me. We could date, hold hands, walk beaches, he'd do it. He'd go full human, I'd never have to worry, he'd never have to sleep outside, he'd never have to hunt for his food, morph, be in danger...fly.

I grinned back up at him, "Tell you what, my hero, let's go take some surrenders, deal with what I'm almost certain will be a media storm-"

He winked, "don't worry, you look good, red suits you." I punched him playfully.

"-and maybe we can talk about a fancy dinner in a little while. I would be ecstatic over even some Burger King at the moment and something tells me I'm still a few hours away from even that."

He smiled, "I'd like that."

{We've docked,} Ax announced.

I sighed and felt the shaggy brown fur erupt from my skin. With seventy morph-capable controllers aboard, the truth was we were still being damn optimistic. Maybe they'd play it smart, accept defeat, take whatever deal we gave them. The only other option was eventual death and I'd yet to meet a Yeerk eager for that. But given our luck maybe they'd fight till- I stopped myself. Looked at Tobias. No, it started with six, we still were six. Without our "bad luck" I'd never have found myself. Without our "bad luck" I'd have never found him. Maybe our luck's better than we cared to admit. Tobias looked back at me as shaggy white fur started to show under the feathers of an already enormous hawk. Stopped himself. Reversed it.

{Heh. Uh, Ax-man, with your permission?}

{Of course, Tobias.}

A blue tail appeared and extra legs grew from his chest as he began to turn into a mirror image of Ax.

He smiled an Andalite smile at me and winked three of his four eyes, {Maybe we've seen enough polar bears for the day.} He gave a resigned sigh and faced the door, {Well? Shall we?}

I grinned my grizzly grin back at him.

{Let's do it.}

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So, hope you guys enjoyed. My first fanfic so be gentle. I only got into this recently and I know there's a lot of The Beginning ones so I'm hoping I didn't take anything from anyone. I didn't have time to read all 5000. I'd like to actually do a full rewrite of The Beginning, based off at least Tobias and Rachel's POV cause let's face it, if anyone deserved a happier ending, it was those two. If you got this far, you probably read it, so please review!. If the work's well liked I'll be all the more motivated to continue. I'll probably do it anyway but still - motivation.


	2. Aftermath - Chapters 10 - 14

A/N Again, Animorphs is not mine no matter how bad I wish it was, this is just my retake on the final book. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a review. It's preferred really. Not required, but preferred. Thanks!

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**Chapter 10**  
**Rachel:**

{Let's do it.}

Man I hope I didn't regret those words. Not when we were so close. So many other escapes had been so close. Like maybe Death was asleep at the wheel, too busy to concern himself with finishing the job. But this last one, this last one I'd cheated him. I was hoping he'd let that go for now, but the queasiness in my stomach said Death wasn't happy about it.

Still, I was a seven hundred pound grizzly flanked by two Andalite warriors, if Death wanted me, he was going to have to try.

I swung my huge head left and watched as Ax daintily stepped towards the door panel. He wasn't moving with his usual efficiency. Strange. I knew what we were about to possibly face would be harder than anything before; we were used to the having morphing advantage after-all, and after the fight I'd just barely survived I knew better than most, but still, he wasn't one to usually show fear.

Swung by head right. Saw Tobias. Smiled as well as bear ever has. He saw me and swung all four eyes to face me and reached out a delicate hand to gently caress the fur behind my ear. I nuzzled his hand.

{Thank you,} I whispered privately, {if this boils down into a fight out there, don't leave me.}

He knew what I meant by that. That I didn't want to see his bravado getting him killed right at the finish line; that I didn't want to witness his death anymore than he'd wanted to witness mine. But when he answered, what I had meant didn't matter either way.

{I never will.}

Ax started punching in the code.

{Guys!} Jake. {Guys, can you hear me? Are you in there?}

I felt Tobias twitch beside me. {No, we figured our luck had held out so far, we'd space-walk back,} he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. I swung my head back to look at him, concerned. That was a mood-swing if I'd ever seen it. Not something he was prone to. Or at least shouldn't have been at the moment. This was a win.

Jake ignored him. {Look, just stay in the bridge, keep it sealed. We're negotiating with the Yeerks on board. They're not eager to die but it's better than Kandrona starvation so just stay put until we can convince them we have a better option. Stay safe.}

Tobias snorted. {So now safety's the name of the game?}

{Tobias!} I whispered privately, concerned at his tone. {Tobias are you going to be ok?}

{I don't think I can Rach.}

{What? Can't what?}

{He sent you to die Rachel.}

It began to dawn on me that Tobias might've endangered the whole mission to save me. Jake wouldn't have sent him after me, just as a surprise back-up. Tobias had learned what Jake had done, and he had been hurt and upset and scared enough to abandon the others to save me. It was the most incredible thing in my eyes. But if I meant that much to him, and I knew I did, what he was thinking about Jake right now may have very well delved into the realm of violence. Now that he knew I was safe, he didn't have to worry about me. Which left him to think about Jake. I'd seen the look he gave Jake on that screen. And I became concerned.

{He-he sent me to kill Tom,} I responded hesitantly. {To stop the Blade Ship.}

{Which was a suicide mission!} Tobias hissed. As angry as I've ever seen him. {He sent you to die! No back-up, no options, nothing! He has _never_ sent one of us on a lone mission! That's the rule damn it! No one goes in without back-up!}

{He didn't know who else would do it. He didn't know if Cassie would do it, or Marco, or Ax. He knew I would. He didn't know you would.}

{He does now,} he said flatly.

I stepped forward, so I was practically touching him. The only other time I'd ever seen him shaking this bad was the aftermath of when he'd been tortured. But that was fear, this was barely contained fury. A violence just managing to hold itself in check. In my heart I understood. I hadn't wanted to die, hadn't wanted to go down with my fingers outstretched and still unable to touch the finish line, to never see my mother, my sisters, to hold Tobias and tell him I loved him. But I had gone because I had understood Jake too. To have gotten so close and never been able to save your brother, to never hear your brother say, 'I love you too, little bro' of his own free will, to know he'd die a slave. I had gone with the hope of stopping the Blade Ship sure, but knowing the best I could probably do was kill Tom. And Tom would've understood, I knew. Better to die as a snake than live as a Yeerk. But I think the problem was, while I had thought about Tobias before going, oh how I'd thought of him, I didn't realize what my death would've done to him. It would've killed him. And it occurred to me, he'd gone from pure ecstasy at saving me, to seething rage, all at the sound of Jake's voice, and my concern turned to a very real fear.

{Tobias, look at me,} I said. He had his gaze focused back at the door.

He swung one stalk eye round.

{Tobias, look at me,} I said, more forcefully this time.

He focused all four eyes straight into my gaze.

{You won't hurt him will you?} No answer. I became a little more frantic.

{Tobias, I agreed to this of my own accord. He didn't give me an order, he made a request. I could've refused it, I didn't. He's my family Tobias,} I said more fiercely than I had intended. Turns out family can mean a lot.

{And you're his. He still sent you to die.}

{Tobias! _Don't. You. Hurt. Him._}

He looked down at the floor, then back up to me. {Alright Rachel. I won't hurt him, I won't. But know this, it won't be because I don't want to.}

{Can you forgive him?}

{I'll tolerate him.}

{For me?}

{We'll see.}

**Chapter 11 **  
**Tobias: **

I wouldn't hurt him. I wouldn't.

I had promised Rachel, and I was not about to go back on it. But I was going to make damn sure that when he looked into my eyes, he'd understand that was the only reason.

We all stood fidgeting on the bridge as we listened to the negotiations going on around us.

{And why exactly should we trust you human? We have three of your friends on board. Why should we believe you won't just kill us all once they're free? We saw you flush our brothers from the pool. Did you make them an offer too? It would have been so very _human_ of you.}

Clearly at least one but more likely all the controllers had morphed, most likely thinking they were about to get stormed. Probably a smart move, all things considered.

{Look, slug-} Diplomatic.

Marco took over for Jake. I didn't know if Jake was just exasperated by that point or the pool comment stung. I hoped it was both.

{Look, real simple, Yeerk, we have the upperhand and we're still negotiating, so pay attention cause you have a few options available to you. One, you play it smart, you take our deal, you demorph, come out, leave your hosts, and we toss you back into the pool until we can get you the morphing ability. After which you pick one of our fine Earth species and stay as that. Permanently. Two, we storm the ship. Sure you can try to go after our friends but they're behind a door sealed by an Andalite, so, you know, good luck-}

Ax smiled at that.

{-and by the way, if you have a viewscreen, flip it on. See all those Hork-Bajir?}

I swung my stalks and looked at the viewscreen. Rachel turned, looked, and gave a low whistle. There had to be no less than two hundred, it had to be the recently freed alongside Toby's warriors, with a wolf, a gorilla, and a...tiger standing amongst them. My blood pressure rose a little at that last one. Alloran was there too and had morphed into...something I hadn't seen before but was sure could kill you before you could pronounce it's name.

{I'd say about ninety-eight percent of them are former hosts and one hundred percent of them are ticked, so don't expect to make it to our friends if we rush you. Three, and I'll admit, this is my personal favourite, we have our friends take the Blade Ship back out, vent everything but the bridge, and you can rejoin your boys in orbit. Your choice. And be quick about.} Marco sounded even harsher than usual. Even comedians have breaking points.

These last few weeks had been harder on all of us than we thought.

Ax shifted uneasily on his hooves. He had done it once, under orders, but I knew he still wasn't thrilled about it. Nor the possibility of being ordered to do it a second time, this time with host bodies involved.

A collective sigh seemed to escape from the minds of the controllers.

{Very well human. We'll surrender. Personally, I think you'll betray us, but, well, I hope you prove me wrong.}

{We will.}

Jake again, {All right guys, stay on the bridge. we'll come get you once we're sure everyone's off.}

I wouldn't hurt him. I wouldn't.

I had understood for the time,the conflict he had to have been feeling. To send his cousin to kill his brother. I had. He refused to let someone he loved live the rest of their lives as a slave. I understood that as well as the rest. Rachel had made me promise, if she ever got taken, and I had the shot, to take it. To kill her. To put her down before she became an abomination. And the thing that filled me with a feeling I hadn't yet decided was pride or shame is that I loved her so much, I'd have done it. I'd have looked into eyes that had only shown me love, and I would've put a blade across her throat. To save her from a worse fate. So I got why Jake would rather see Tom die than live like that. But when I had seen that polar bear standing over Rachel, a hairsbreadth from ending her life; something had snapped. _Knowing_ that if I had taken one second longer to convince Ax, _knowing_ that if Jake had given the 'Go' order one second sooner, _knowing_ if it had taken a second longer to open those bridge doors, seeing all that and _knowing_...I'd have walked in a second too late to save the love of my life, and I would've blamed myself.

I was trying. I really was. The girl I loved had gone from imminent death to in my arms and telling me she loved me, but every time I reminded myself to be happy about that, I remembered the only reason I was, is because I ignored his orders. There was no reason for me to be anything but overjoyed. But I was struggling with it. He was lucky she made me promise.

{Ok guys, we're on way, just stay put. We're just running through the handle. Be there in a few.}

I wouldn't hurt him. I wouldn't.

A new realization dawned on me then. As adrenaline faded, with Rachel safe and the battle won, maybe even the war, I remembered. I knew what was waiting outside those doors. I knew what they'd see before they got to us. Or I at least had a picture of it. My mind had been protecting me.

We don't kill humans.

_But I had to save Rachel_.

I hadn't really noticed it in the fight, but then I hadn't really noticed anything in the fight. All I had noticed was motion. If it moved I took it out. I knew whatever was out there wasn't pretty. What was it Ax had said? Twenty-three? And they hadn't stood a chance, out of morph, inexperienced with it, too slow, against a half-ton beast fueled by love, rage, and desperation. And suddenly memories of the fight came rushing in. Memories I didn't know I had, but was desperately sure I didn't want.

It's not you're fault, I told myself.

You shouldn't have had to do it. You shouldn't have had to. If he'd done what's right, you wouldn't have had to.

It's not your fault.

I heard pounding steps running down a corridor. Then I heard them slow. Then I heard them stop.

{Oh. God.} Cassie. Sounding horrified.

{Can gorillas hurl?} Marco. Sounding sick enough that, that may have been a legitimate question.

{Jesus.} Jake.

Damn you.

{Tobias?} Rachel, sounding suddenly concerned. {Tobias, are you ok?}  
I didn't move.

{Look, Tobias, listen, look at me.} She nudged me. Gently.  
I turned. Looked into large brown eyes. Eyes that weren't really her's but loved me just the same.

{Whatever's out there, was not your fault. I'm here standing, alive and well, because of you. I get to have a life because of you. I get to see my mom, my sisters, my friends. I get to be with you, to hold your hand, _to tell you I love you, because of you_.}

I gave her a sad half-smile.

{I know Rachel. And that makes it worth it. But it doesn't make it go away.}

{Uh, guys? Come-come on out.}

**Chapter 12 **  
**Rachel: **

{Ok guys, we're on way, just stay put. We're just running through the handle. Be there in a few.}

I looked up at Tobias. I hadn't brought it up again; I knew if Tobias promised me he wouldn't hurt Jake, then he wouldn't. He'd never break a promise to me. But I still wanted to judge his mood. Only his face was no longer a clouded mass of rage. If anything it looked closer to sorrow, or shame. He'd stopped shaking but his fur had turned a paler shade of blue.

I turned back to Ax. He glanced at Tobias, then me, then the door and turned as pale as Tobias had.

{Ax,} I asked privately, {Ax what's going on, what happened?}

Ax looked grim. {When we entered the Blade Ship, we encountered numerous controllers, as I mentioned. There were more than expected. Tobias was...desperate. He had heard Jake give the order and was unwavering in his need to reach you on time. I- I believe he may have let his bear instincts at least partially control the morph. I do not know if Tom had brought any non-human controllers on-board but all of the controllers in this section were human, not morphed at the time and were unable to fight back with much effect...}

He trailed off as we heard pounding footsteps coming down the corridor before they slowed down and came to a halt.

{I had been there to help if he needed it.} Ax reassured me. {He didn't.}

A fully grown and furious polar bear against humans taken unawares and panicking? Containing the mind of a scared and desperate boy? I'd been a polar bear. I knew what it could do. I'd fought one as a grizzly and it damn near kicked my butt, probably would've if I hadn't had the assistance of Marco in another impossibly strong morph. I was suddenly apprehensive about what lay outside that door. I'd seen what Tobias had done to the bear that attacked me. He'd been lost in his own mind. If Tobias had been willing to abandon the others, to risk Ax's life and his own, on some desperate mission to save me, I didn't believe for a second the fact that the controllers were human would have slowed him down. Now I understood why Ax had hesitated when he had used the word 'incapacitated'.

{Oh. God.} Cassie. Don't you judge him Cassie. _Don't you judge him!_

{Can gorillas hurl?} Marco. Shut up Marco. _Shut up! _

{Jesus.} Jake. He'll have to relive that because of you Jake. _Because of you_.

Because of me.

{Tobias?} I said. {Tobias, are you ok?}

I nudged him, {Look, Tobias, listen, look at me.}

He turned.

I looked into emerald green eyes and saw a dawning sadness, and I knew what he was going through. He'd done what it took to get here, he'd thought about nothing else but me. When he saved me he had the chance to focus his rage towards Jake. But now? Now he finally had a chance to think. The adrenaline gone, battle over, friends all safe, _me_ safe, he had time. Time to go back over exactly what he'd done to get here, to this very spot at this very time. I'd gone through it myself before. We all had. Cassie had once taken out a half-dozen human controllers at a gas plant to save us, all of us, from a certain death. Six controllers down. Six Animorphs saved. And it had damn near broken her. And sweet, gentle Tobias, I could only imagine what was going through his head about taking out twenty-three for just one. But that one was me and I needed him to understand that.

{Whatever's out there, was not your fault. I'm standing here, alive and well, because of you. I get to have a life because of you. I get to see my mom, my sisters, my friends. I get to be with you, to hold your hand, _to tell you I love you, because of you_.}

He gave me a sad smile.

{I know Rachel. And that makes it worth it. But it doesn't make it go away.}

{Uh, guys? Come-come on out.}.

**Chapter 13 **

Ax slid the door open. Slightly more confident this time but when I looked out the door, I understood why he'd been hesitant the first time. And I understood the horror in the other's voices.

It looked like the elevator from _The Shining_ had stopped on this floor.

Bodies scattered down the hall for forty or fifty feet and blood covered the floor for the length of it. Jake, his tiger still as a statue, Cassie, sitting in wolf morph like she had just stopped and planted, and Marco, one ham-sized hand bracing himself on the ground, the other balled into a fist over his mouth, all standing at the other end of it.

{For me, Tobias. For me,} I whispered privately, needing him to focus on anything but the ground. Though there were more than a few areas where the walls weren't much better. Ax went first, slowly, picking his hooves up high. Main eyes forward, and uncharacteristically, both stalk eyes as well. Doing what he could to view as little as possible. I'm sure his first time through following Tobias had been enough. Tobias started down after him. I started to demorph. Maybe it'd be comforting for Tobias to hold my hand for this. But I stopped, and held myself in check. We had never learned to morph shoes and I wasn't walking through this as a human.

Walking the length, it was easy to tell how the - battle wasn't the right word but the right one was one I'd never use when speaking about what Tobias had done - unfolded. Right at the bridge door there was a fully morphed lioness with a surpringly bloodless wound right through her face. Two more half-morphed big cats lay off to the side, crumpled half against, half-into the wall. They must have been injured and trying to heal when Tobias got to them.

A bit further out lay a wolf and a Hork-Hajir with Andalite tailblade wounds that had obviously proven fatal. They were the only ones fully morphed amongst the bodies. They had had they most warning, the most time. The rest became less and less morphed as we went along and just before we reached the others there were a few just plain human bodies. The ones who were down before they knew what hit them. We had passed a few bodies with what seemed to be almost delicate tail blade wounds compared to the alternative, but Ax had told it honestly. He hadn't been needed. Most were gashed or gouged. Badly. Some even appeared to have suffered crush damage of some sort. Slammed against an immovable object by an unstoppable force. It explained the dents spread out along the walls and consoles. Tobias had been efficient.

He stopped right at a cluster of three non-morphed crumpled human bodies and stared straight down at them with his main eyes while his stalk eyes continued to scan the hallway. Something he had been doing the length of the corridor I had noticed. Like he was doing his best to sear it into his mind.

{Tobias, don't do this to yourself,} I whispered. {This was for me.}

{Uh, Tobias, bud, I don't think you want to-} Marco began.

{Tobias, this is wholly unneccessary,} Ax cut in.

Cassie stayed silent and though I knew it was cause she was in shock, I could have happily swatted her for it.

Tobias held up his slender Andalite arms to quiet us all.

{No,} he said, quietly but sure of himself, {I'm going to have nightmares about this anyway. Leaving it to my imagination would only be worse.}

{Amen to that brother,} Marco muttered.

{You did what you had to,} Jake said impassively. Trying to be supportive but knowing he took a risk in doing so. He'd seen the way Tobias had looked at him on that view screen too.

I flinched.

Tobias' tail twitched and all four eyes focused on Jake. Everyone tensed subtley. Cassie was back up on all fours, Marco, arms back at his sides, Ax's tail raised imperceptibly. Jake flinched but otherwise didn't move. I knew he wasn't thinking he could take Tobias, he was thinking that whatever came his way, he deserved it.

You promised me, Tobias.

{You're right Jake. I did what I had to. I just shouldn't have had to.}

And he kept walking.

**Chapter 14**  
**Tobias:**

Those were the sort of visions that were going to haunt me till I died. The sort that hits you when you thought you were finally rid of them. But I had saved her. And suddenly whatever hell awaited me when I closed my eyes didn't seem so bad anymore.

We were on the bridge of the Pool Ship. I had gotten off that Blade Ship at the closest exit I could find and the others hadn't been far behind me. I had glanced back once to see a bear staring down a tiger: Rachel telling, warning, or explaining something to Jake privately, but I hadn't bothered to inquire.

Now we were sitting around, me in human morph, the others all themselves, waiting for the Andalites to come from either of the two Dome ships they had us trapped between. They had been hesitant to believe us at first but the offer of a 'free Pool Ship with matching Blade Ship' as Marco had so eloquently put it was hard to turn down.

What can I say? The guy's a natural salesman.

Everyone else had cleared out. Alloran with Toby and the Hork-Bajir to oversee the final stages of freeing all the hosts.

Erek, back to Earth to keep his secret safe for another few millenia hopefully.

And for the first time in what felt like a long time, it was just us. The Animorphs. With some free time. No fighting, no danger. Just sitting.

Cassie had spent the last twenty minutes hugging Rachel so hard I think my literal bear hug of her early had been gentle by comparison.

Marco gave her a quick punch in the shoulder. Happier to see her alive and well than he let on, I knew.

"Glad ya made it Xena, though I wouldn't have minded going up one rank in tallest Animorph," he grinned. "Though I guess you don't hold the record for 'best rampage' anymore."

She punched him in the shoulder at that. Hard. "Do you ever learn?"

He winced. Glanced at me, realized I was within earshot, winced again. "I do, but it's more trial and error than I'd like to admit." He gave me a guilty look. "Sorry dude."

I gave him a weak grin. "Ends justify the means right? I think it was you that taught me that."

"I think there's a few things you could teach me."

Rachel punched him again. Harder.

"Damn it! Trial and error Xena! Trial and error!"

She shot me a guilty look but I just smiled back. A genuine one at that. It troubled me a bit, and I don't know if I'd ever tell her this, certainly would never tell anyone else, but the only reason that scene of carnage outside the bridge wasn't worse was because there weren't more in my way. If there had've been a hundred human controllers outside that bridge I'd have gone through them all to save her or died in the attempt. Rage and love. Two emotions that have a tendency to drive logic out the window on their own. Combine them, and well, we know what happens there. Marco had a point, even if it wasn't a happy one. Ruthless gets the job done.

She started over to Jake but he saw her coming and just nodded in my direction. Rachel saw it and nodded back. She understood. They had both agreed to the mission, there was no blame to be placed, no forgiveness to be asked between them. He had had enough thoughts running through his head, further complexities weren't required at the moment.

She came back towards me, turning as she did so to look at Cassie. Cassie caught her eye and she inclined her head towards where Jake sat, head down but I could see his eyes, a whirlwind of emotions sweeping through them.

How did Cassie feel about this I wondered? She'd barely said a word to anyone. She had gotten her best friend back, but what did she think of Rachel being in that situation in the first place? And of who had put her there? Nonetheless she levered herself off the bench she was sitting on and made her way over to talk to Jake.

Marco wandered over to chat with Ax, most likely for lack of any other option. Rachel sat down beside me. I leaned my head on her shoulder and she kissed my blond hair.

"You're safe," I whispered.

"Because of you," she whispered back. "He doesn't deserve it you know."

The sudden change of topic caught me off-guard.

"He sent you-"

"What was it you said Tobias? About why I accepted the mission? The same reason you love me?"

I smiled. "Because you're Rachel." I knew where she was going with this and I had a feeling I'd be over talking to Jake before long.

"And he's Jake. He makes the tough calls. He gets the big wins. He does the right thing no matter how much it hurts him. You think any of the others would've sent me? Or you?" She asked seriously. She shook her head, "No, they wouldn't have. You definately wouldn't have. And a hundred Yeerks with a morphing cube and a Blade Ship would be loose in the galaxy."

I sighed and leaned back up off her shoulder. I looked over, Cassie had her arms around him but it was more comforting than romantic. He was the same as the last time I looked. Head down, eyes hollow, lost in his own thoughts. And I realized; it would've killed him. If Rachel had died, it would've killed me, yes, but her death wouldn't have been on my hands. It would've been on his. He knew that and he sent her anyway. Because it was right.

"He lost his brother today, Tobias. He almost lost his cousin. Until we find them and get them free he's lost his parents. Don't make him lose a friend."

I sighed and forced myself to my feet, looked back at Rachel.

"Since when are you the rational one?" I asked grinning.

"Since it's between my boyfriend and my cousin," She smiled back. "Besides, you took my 'Best to have in a Fight' title so I need something."

I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you."

"I know," she said slyly.

I started walking towards Jake.

"Oh hey! Tobias!"

I turned back.

"Don't forget to demorph and remorph eh?" She smiled, humour twinkling in her eyes. "We don't want you getting stuck. I might like to go for some flight time after some Burger King."

I winked. "Your wish is my command."

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So! Let me know what you thought. I'll be continuing this no doubt. I'm still only getting through the happy beginning, but these two deserve a happy life. It'll take some thought, but I look forward to it.


	3. Victory - Chapters 15 - 19

A/N Same as usual. Don't own'em. Wish I did. Loved'em all. Except the last. The day I read #54, that uh, that really ruined my day. I've been reading #54 again for some ideas, and man, really starting to hate myself for it. That stuff is dark.

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**Chapter 15**  
**Tobias:**

She didn't want me to give up my wings. Yet anyway. I liked that.

Cassie looked up from whispering something in Jake's ear as she sensed movement and flinched when see saw me.

I held up my hands in the universal 'it's cool' gesture and she smiled. She gave Jake one last quick rub on the back and stood up to go talk with Rachel brushing my hand with hers as she went past.

"He needs this," she whispered quietly, catching my eyes and giving me a look equal parts serious and sad, before continuing on.

I stopped a few feet in front of Jake, seeing if he'd look up but he was so wrapped up in his own head that I doubt he would've noticed if I'd gone African elephant and swatted him with my trunk.

I sighed and sat down next to him.

He was the only one of us not treating this as a victory and I knew why. We had always known that we had to win this war for humanity, but we hadn't fought it for humanity. We'd fought it for our own reasons. For each other. I've read that about old wars. The soldiers would say they didn't do it for their country. They did it for the guy in the foxhole next to them.

Ax had fought it because it was his duty, and to avenge his brother. Which he did.

Marco had fought it at first because he couldn't sit by and watch his friends fight, then he learned the bittersweet truth about his mother, alive but enslaved, and he fought it to save her. Which he did.

Cassie had fought it to save not just humanity, but the planet, to save the world she found so wonderous. Which she did. But she was also in it to save Jake, the boy she loved. Half-win.

Rachel fought it because it was in her nature, never back down. And when I finally had the chance to go human, escape the danger, and refused, she'd fought it to keep my feathery neck safe. Which she did.

Me? I'd fought it because it gave me purpose. Elfangor, my father, had died to give us a chance, and I wasn't about to squander the first time anyone ever thought me to be worth something. I'd also fought it for Rachel. I'd had a crush on her well before our fight began, and as things progressed, I'd gone from fighting for a crush to fighting for my love. I fought to keep her tied to us, away from her dark side, to save her life and her soul. Which I did.

But Jake? Jake had failed.

Jake had been reluctant at first. Reluctant to fight, reluctant to lead. But he'd found out, our very first mission that Tom was a controller. And he fought for Tom. To free him. And he'd almost succeeded too. On our very first mission. A hundred feet from safety they'd lost him. I should know, I saw it well from where I was stuck. And so Jake fought, in the hopes of another chance. And now, after the years, the fights, the horrors, the nightmares, to have your one purpose for the fight taken from you as you watched? On your own orders? Because it was the right thing to do? Man, if Fate had had it out for Jake she'd sure been patient about it.

A hero avenged, a mother rescued, a planet saved, lovers together - and a brother dead.

And suddenly I couldn't even imagine mustering up a fraction of the anger I'd felt before. Five of the six of us had our wins, our goals met, what we wanted. And the one who had led us through it all to our big win, had lost.

"I'm sorry about Tom." I said. "And I'm sorry I didn't say it sooner."

I saw a sad smile form at the corner of his mouth. "Thanks Tobias, but it's ok. It was my order." He sighed. "Who knows. Maybe if I had sent you along in the first place or Marco..." he trailed off.

"Then Tom would still be dead and so would two of us. Don't do this Jake," I said sternly. "Don't blame yourself for this. You brought us through this, you saved another seventy people from a lifetime of slavery, you stopped a hundred Yeerks with morphing powers from unleashing hell on some poor world."

I grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a little shake, enough that he looked up at me. Funny, twenty minutes ago Rachel was the only thing keeping me from coming across and slugging him. Now I was the only thing stopping him from doing it to himself.

"Think Jake, six of us almost singlehandly stopped an invasion, defeated an empire. Imagine what a hundred would've done. Imagine what would've happened if every flimsy Taxxon could become a Hork-Bajir. A hundred with the ability to create as many more as they wanted. They'd have gone to the Yeerk homeworld, picked up some reinforcements and been back here in a couple years. And they wouldn't have lost this time." I smiled as best I could at that moment and gave him a short jab to the shoulder. "You saved the world man. And not just ours. Tom'd be proud."

He smiled. Sadly, but it was still a smile. "Yeah, he would."

He seemed uncomfortable for a minute, rubbing the side of his legs. Like he had something to do or say that he didn't want to and wasn't going to like. I figured I knew what. He looked up at me, "You know man, you seem to be taking this better than I thought."

I shrugged. "Believe me, I spent a fair amount of the last couple hours trying to figure out the best way to strangle someone who could turn into a rhinocerous-"

He smiled.

"-but Rachel kinda helped me see the light. You always think your perspective's right, it is your perspective after all. Sometimes a little third party vision really sets you straight. And, she's around to do that. I saved her Jake. Kind of hard to be upset when I know she'll be ok. Besides, I can only guess what it cost you. And I am sorry about that. I am."

He nodded, coughed a little and cleared his throat. "Huh-uh, um Tobias?"

I looked at him.

"Uh, if, say, you know, the worst had happened..."

"Rachel died?"

"Uh, yeah. What, uh, what would you have done?"

I stared at him. I don't know if he meant what would I have done with him or without her but I knew he didn't need to hear the answer for either. It was just something he felt he needed to get out between us.

"You have enough on your plate there, dude," I said evenly. "Maybe we don't discuss that right now."

He grimaced. Nodded. I think my reply combined with the memory of that Blade Ship corridor gave him a rough idea.

I got up and headed back over to Rachel.

"Tobias, wait." Jake stood up. "Look, uh, I'm sorry too. And not just about not telling you about Rachel. I'm sorry- I'm sorry about what it took to save her. I'm sorry about the Blade Ship." He winced, "That- that had to have been bad. I know that'll probably be with you for a while...but thank you."

I nodded. I knew what he meant. I now had another twenty-four deaths on my hands, all of them either human or morphed human. But in doing that I'd kept one death off his. One very important one. One that probably would've broken him, or at least come damn close. One that would've broken me.

"It's ok Jake. I had a dream come true," I turned to look at Rachel and he followed my gaze. "What's one more nightmare?"

He grinned at that. Held out his hand. I took it.

"Attention boys and girls!" Marco burst back into the room with the most energy I'd seen out of him today. Ax and Alloran followed close behind, "Make sure you're dressed in your Sunday best! The Andalites have arrived."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "About time."

**Chapter 16**  
**Rachel:**

For such an advanced race the Andalites sure dragged their feet boarding that Pool Ship. I guess they figured an ambush wasn't above Yeerk honour. They spent a full half-hour performing a sensor sweep but they must've satisfied themselves that we weren't going to suddenly power up and light up their Dome ships like Christmas trees, because they started boarding.

Turns out one of their Dome ships was named the '_Elfangor_'; I think Ax actually physically increased in size at that. Even Tobias stood a little straighter. What would the Andalites think of him if they found out I wondered? Andalites were very protective of their technology, their ways, their culture. They never sang the sharing song in school I'm betting. So I wondered what they would think when they found out about the human son of the guy they named their Dome Ship after. I was betting not happy thoughts.

I looked over at him, standing just a foot away. He had demorphed and remorphed. I had asked him to but he would've done it without my prodding. I knew he'd give up his wings for me, but he wouldn't until the day I asked him to. And I suddenly felt very, very strange about that. He'd been a hawk for three years and here we were. More in love than ever. Did I really need him to stay human all the time? I think my main problem with that idea was that I didn't want to be the reason he never soared free again. The reason he'd have to look up at the sky and think 'if only'-

Stop it Rachel. Stop it. Eyes forward. Focus. Plenty of time for that later. You're still not even back on your own planet for God's sake.

I glanced back. He had a strange fey look on his face and I realized that as weird and accomplished as this felt for everyone, it was probably even more so for him. His two peoples would be meeting, victorious, in this very room. He seemed equal parts excited and nervous. I understood. I would call Andalites xenophobic but only because I didn't know a stronger word. I slipped my hand into his and pulled him closer so that our shoulders were touching.

"Weird eh?" I whispered.

{Very,} he replied.

I shot him a look.

{What?} He asked innocently. {It's just, you know, it's occurred to me that if I stay human I'll be the world's only telepath. I'm just trying it out is all, getting a feel for it.} He winked. {I've been messing with Marco.}

I looked to were Marco stood on the other side of our little group, waiting for the Andalite Captain and his entourage to make their way to the bridge. He was fidgeting slightly and struggling to hold a serious look on his face for when the Andalites approached. He snorted suddenly. Jake looked back and gave him a 'what the hell's you're problem?' look. Marco held up his hands and bowed his head in submission. When Jake turned back around Marco shot a death glare in our direction and mouthed some very unkind words at us. I stifled a giggle.

We heard some clopping noises from outside the bridge doors, then they slid open to reveal a muscular, battle-scarred Andalite with a single stalk-eye followed by a bodyguard of six more. Ax had told us Andalite warriors were also trained in science, technology, and the arts, so as to be as balanced as possible, but you could tell which of the Captain's bodyguards preferred fighting and which were natural techies. Half looked like they couldn't wait to take the ship apart gently and lovingly study every piece. The other half looked like they wanted to take their tail blades to the walls and not stop until the whole thing was scrap. To each their own I guess.

{Who commands this ship?}

**Chapter 17**

{Who commands this ship?} His booming thought-speech echoed through our heads. Ow! This guy needed to work on his volume control.

"Jeez, try your inside voice," Marco muttered, rubbing one finger inside his ear for effect.

Ax swung his stalk eyes around. {Marco! That is Captain Asculan-}

"Something-something. Yeah, yeah, I know. Very Big Time."

Jake ignored them both and if Asculan had heard anything he gave no indication. "I'm in command of this ship at the moment Captain."

Asculan gave Jake an appraising look, main eyes sweeping him head to toe and back again while his stalk eyes floated over the rest of us.

He looked over at Ax. {_Aristh_ Aximili, these are the humans who call themselves Animorphs?}

{Yes, Captain. This is my Prince and our leader Jake-}

Asculan twitched at the word Prince and Ax faltered for a moment.

{-and my fellow warriors, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias.}

{We thank you for your contribution to the war effort,} Asculan said evenly.

Contribution? I think you mean winning the damn thing.

{We have heard of your exploits on the homeworld.}

"All right," Marco crowed, "we're famous!"

Asculan swivelled his lone stalk eye towards Marco. I wondered why he didn't morph to repair the damage, but Ax had explained that morphing was typically reserved for spies and assassins. Lower castes than warriors. Scars were a sign of a warrior's prowess apparently. Personally I thought still being alive would suffice but we had different ways of viewing things it seemed.

{Exploits which we have kept a carefully guarded secret.}

"Oh." Marco looked crestfallen.

"Captain," Jake jumped in, "I will be glad to hand this ship over to your people after we discuss some details."

{Details?} Asculan inquired.

"Yes. As part of our negotiations, the Yeerks we've captured as well as a number of allied Taxxons on the planet have been promised the opportunity to have access to an Escafil device in order to-"

{Denied.}

Jake's mouth dropped. Marco raised an eyebrow. Cassie just looked worried. Ax shifted uneasily on his hooves. Tobias and I shared matching frowns. Would it have killed Asculan to let Jake explain? Or at least finish for that matter?

"Captain, we promised prisoners of war and allies that certain conditions would be met as part of the terms," Jake said sternly.

I knew a flat-out denial wasn't something he had anticipated but Andalites had a very black and white attitude for a lot things. I didn't even know if they knew what grey was. Compromise was a strong word for them. They'd been prepared to cook Earth if it meant stopping the Yeerks. Now that that was no longer a concern they probably expected a thank you, not an argument.

{You had no right to promise something that does not belong to you.}

Jake's mouth opened wider even though it probably had to break the laws of physics to do so. Marco's mouth opened too, presumably to say some sort of smart aleck remark but I'd been close enough to death that day for it to leave claw marks in my arm and I wasn't having any of it.

"Hey, Big Blue, we're handing you a Pool Ship, which, unless I'm mistaken, is an equal match for one of your bubble topped palm trees out there-"

I swear Ax was one missed breath from fainting.

"-and a Blade Ship to boot. Not to mention the Yeerks we captured and their other ships left in orbit. You were prepared to fry us cause most of their fleet was here and we just handed it to you on a platter. Maybe a little compromise wouldn't kill you."

Ax looked shaky. Marco and Jake looked like they'd both high five me if they could reach. Cassie grinned through her worry, and beside me I could practially feel Tobias smirk.

Asculan waved his one stalk eye in my direction but otherwise continued addressing Jake directly.

Damn Andalites. For such an advanced race, they sure had some backwards ways when it came to women. And the disabled. And foreign species. Pretty much anyone not a healthy adult male. Like a species of seventeen hundred's British aristocrats capable of faster than light travel. I'd forgotten about that.

{We're very grateful,} Asculan continued sounding anything but. {Though Yeerk technology, no doubt interesting to my officers, is less sophisticated than our own. It is of interest, nothing more.}

I would've erupted at that but Marco beat me too it. "We won your lousy war for you, you pompous old-"

Jake cut him off. "My promise to the Yeerks and Taxxons will be honoured," he said. Doing his best to sound confident and determined. Like someone who wasn't about to put up with being told no.

{The morphing technology is the property of the Andalite people. And it will stay that way.}

This was going poorly quickly. The Andalites had their technology, their weapons and they weren't about to go around handing them out. A part of me couldn't blame them. Our fight had gotten a heck of a lot harder once even a Yeerk with a little girl for a host could turn into a lion. Another part of me didn't like being told no. I never had liked it much and I had come to like it a hell of a lot less after what we had been through over the last few years. The only problem was I wasn't sure how to convince them otherwise. We had no real leverage. And the way Ax had told it, you didn't get to captain a Dome ship by not wanting to fight. Maybe peace wasn't so palatable for these guys.

"Don't you understand Captain?" Cassie broke in softly. "This is a way out. This is _the_ way out. To let the Yeerks become something else. They won't be parasites. They won't be dangerous. To you, to us, to anyone."

{Now you're suggesting the morphing technology be given to the whole Yeerk empire?} Asculan laughed derisively. {No morphing technology will ever be made available to any Yeerk or any Taxxon. I am aware that you yourselves are morph-capable but it has been decided no legal action will be taken against you. Nor against Aximili for providing you with this tecnology.}

Ax tensed slightly while the rest of us exchanged looks.

"Ax didn't gi-" I began.

{Rachel!} Ax's thoughtspeak shout halted me mid-word.

The other Andalites shifted uncomfortably while Asculan fixed me with his glare. {While it is commonly known amongst the higher ranks that Elfangor was indeed the one who gave you the morphing technology, it is the common...knowledge...of the people that it was Aximili who did so in an act of desperation.}

Ax's head drooped a little.

{In this way Elfangor's name need not be shamed for his treasonous act.}

I felt Tobias stiffen beside me. "Treasonous act?" he echoed. "You mean giving us a fighting chance? If you're supposed to be so advanced, try not to be so short-sighted. We're not asking you to give the Yeerks unlimited morphing power, just the chance to escape being parasites." He sounded ticked and I could understand why. "If Elfangor hadn't given us your technology in a 'treasonous act' the Yeerks would have taken Earth and you'd fighting another six billion Yeerk soldiers. Let them be something else, and you'll no longer have an enemy. "

Asculan didn't look particularly pleased about being called short-sighted, even if the term fit like a glove, but Tobias held his stare.

{While your input is...appreciated,} Asculan said with a tone that implied if he had teeth, they'd be gritted together, {I see no reason to value it any more than the rest.}

{Why not?} Tobias asked in our heads. {You named your ship after my father. That must count for something.}

That shut them down. The room went so still I was worried someone might sneeze and get themselves killed. I smiled. Let's see how they liked that. Their hero had a human son? Scandalous.

{Impossible.}

{Captain Asculan,} Ax offered. Slowly. {What my...nephew tells you is the truth.}

I looked over at Tobias as he went back to hawk.

{As stated,} Asculan began harshly. Not in the mood to be toyed with. {I am aware of your morphing capabilities. I fail to see how this...}

I found myself agreeing with Asculan though I wouldn't admit it, I wasn't entirely sure where Tobias was going with this. I didn't see how showing off some morphing would convince the Captain that he was part Andalite but I knew he wouldn't have brought it up without some idea to prove it. He's smarter than most give him credit for. Then I saw his hawk form being to turn blue. He had acquired Ax, but I didn't see the point behind that either.

{Tobias,} Ax sounded somewhat confused. Not upset by any means just at a bit of a loss. {I'm not certain how morphing me will-}

"Uh, Ax," Marco interjected. "I don't think he's morphing you."

{Oh. Oh my.}

I looked back to Tobias. He looked more or less like Ax, but larger, more muscular. Like Ax might look five or ten years from now. I had only seen that Andalite once before. But once was enough. Once had seared it into my mind.

"Tobias?"

**Chapter 18  
****Tobias:**

{You named your ship after my father. That must count for something.}

Every Andalite in that room stopped breathing.

{Impossible.}

{Captain Asculan,} Ax said slowly, {what my...nephew tells you is the truth.}

Asculan looked from me to Ax and back to me. Disbelieving.

I sighed. I began to demorph.

Asculan watched as I demorphed to hawk. { As stated, I am aware of your morphing capabilities. I fail to see how this...} Asculan trailed off as he watched me begin another morph.

It was a morph no one knew I had. A morph I hadn't told Ax about. Not even Rachel. One I had never used before and one I'd promised myself I'd never use outside of extreme circumstances. Now that the war had a chance to be ended if I could convince a stubborn-as-all-hell Andalite Captain to compromise, it seemed extreme enough.

I began to morph Elfangor.

My feathers melted together and changed colour until I was just a fuzzy blue hawk. Like some sort of smurf version of a raptor. Then the real changes began. Stalk eyes erupted from my head as my wings became arms and new legs grew from my chest.

{Tobias,} Ax sounded somewhere between confused and concerned, {I'm not certain how morphing me will-}

"Uh, Ax," Marco interjected. "I don't think he's morphing you."

{Oh. Oh my.}

I'd heard some confusion but no objections, so I continued. And a minute later I stood before them all. A fully formed Elfangor. I flicked my tail sideways with a snap.

"Tobias?"

I swung my stalks towards Rachel. {Please don't be mad. I never told anyone, and if I did, it would have been you. I never did this before.}

She smiled. Surprised. "It's ok. I can't say I blame you on this one."

Ax was looking at me. Shocked but silent. And as I let my stalk eyes sweep the room, I realized everyone else was as well.

{I'll explain later Ax, please, don't hold this against me,} I pleaded privately.

Ax just nodded his head. Too shocked to bother with a proper response. Everyone else looked on with their mouths open.

{As I said Captain. You named your ship for my father. I was the last one to leave him. The last one to speak with him. He allowed me to acquire him, in the hopes that he would be able to assist us in our fight, even beyond death.} I explained. {I am his son. And if giving us a fighting chance was treasonous I'm curious as to what you might consider that.}

Asculan's tail was twitching. He looked ready to take the head from my shoulders. Like he was desperate to erase a shame to his race. A shame to a race. That's what I was. Well so be it, Elfangor would have been proud. And that's all that mattered.

"Holy sh-" Marco began.

I cut him off. {Well Captain? Do you think the Andalite people would benefit from hearing that we humans were considered worthy of one of your greatest heroes? That perhaps we are capable of rational thought, even if it does not agree with your own? After all I believe Ax has an open civilian line to the Andalite home world prepped. What better way to show them the value of diverse thought than a first-hand example?}

Jake, Cassie and Rachel all smiled. Marco looked downright smug.

Ax still just looked shocked. A small part of me was concerned he might be forgetting to breathe.

I turned one stalk eye towards Alloran who had his own arms crossed and was looking rather smug in his own right. I thought maybe it was because he knew about me but no, that wasn't it. It was because he was known as the Butcher of the Hork-Bajir. Because he'd acted without orders. If he had exterminated the Hork-Bajir with orders backing him up, he'd have been a hero. From what Ax had told me Alloran had fallen out with the Andalite high command far before he'd ever been captured, and I think the fact that Andalites - sent by high command to do to us what he'd done to the Hork-Bajir - had been caught off-guard and shown up satisfied him somewhat. Or greatly.

{Humans,} Alloran addressed Asculan with a smile in voice. {I must admit Captain that if you spend any time with them, they have habit of so surprising you that it borders on downright annoying.}

{I will confer with my officers.} Asculan's voice sounded hard enough to cut diamonds, but he turned and walked out stiffly with his bodyguard right on his heels, their stalk eyes sweeping back and forth between me and Alloran so fast it was a wonder they didn't get dizzy.

I began to demorph.

{Goodbye,} I heard Ax whisper.

I was a bit taken aback, but then I remembered. Last time Ax saw Elfangor, he would've been alive and well. He never got a chance to say goodbye the way I did.

{Sorry Ax,} I whispered back. He averted his gaze. He must not have even realized he'd said anything.

I remorphed human and took Rachel's hand in mine as the others gave me strange looks.

"So, uh," Marco began, "so that just happened."

"Why didn't you ever tell us Tobias,?" Cassie asked.

I fidgeted. "I don't know, it just never seemed like something to bring up. I had never planned on morphing him either. You guys know I was closer to him from the get-go. At the construction site that night, when you guys..."

"Ran like the wind on steroids?" Marco finished.

We all grinned at that.

"And I stayed," I continued. "He asked me about my family, my mother. I thought that was just cause he might've missed his, maybe was just thinking about families no matter how alien, but I guess he recognized me. He told me to acquire him, that maybe one day he could help me even if he wasn't around." I shrugged. "Just never felt right was all. Like maybe I didn't deserve to take his form ya know?"

"I'm sure he'd tell you otherwise if he could see you today," Rachel said softly.

"That was a hell of a way to make a point Tobias," Jake sounded impressed. "But I think you might've got the job done." He grinned. "Ax, what are the odds that swung the decision in our favour?...Ax?...Ax?"

Ax had barely moved. I think he was still processing seeing his long-dead brother standing right in front of him.

Alloran broke in. {It is known on the homeworld that there are morph-capable beings other than our own kind. As such, giving the morphing power to others on the condition they become _nothlits_ will not seem so outrageous. On the other hand, the idea of one of our greatest heroes having offspring with an alien from a foreign world would be somewhat more...} He searched for the right word.

"Scurrilous?" Marco offered.

Cassie gave Marco a look.

{Unseemly,} he finished. {Our people are very protective of our technology yes, but even more so of our ways and culture. Our traditions. And especially so of our...} He seemed almost awkward.

"Genetic material!" Marco again.

{Bloodlines.} Alloran shot him a look.

"Since when do you know 'scurrilous'?" Jake asked Marco.

"I'm...I'm not sure." Marco seemed genuinely shocked at his own vocabulary.

{Moreover,} Alloran continued, though he swung a pair of disapproving stalk eyes at Jake and Marco, {We have been at war with the Yeerks for more than forty of your Earth years-}

Marco sighed but kept his mouth shut.

{-and though I have not been to the home world for many years-} He smiled sadly. {-I would have to assume that the people are getting war-weary. We are a race of warriors by necessity, not choice. If, perhaps there was a chance for lasting peace, I've no doubt the people would not be pleased to hear it was passed upon over one Captain's pride.} He thought for a moment. {That having been said, Asculan will contact the high command for orders. He would never allow the use of an Escafil device without their command. They may determine it is in their best interests to continue the fight. They may be appalled at the thought of giving the Yeerks even more access to Andalite technology, even if it would only be for two hours for each Yeerk. Or they may determine two hours with Andalite technology is a suitable sacrifice to maintain the sanctity of a hero's legacy. As I said. I have been away for a long time. I cannot say for certain.}

"'Sanctity of a hero's legacy'", Marco echoed. "Jeez, xenophobic much?"

Alloran looked at him. {You are proud of everything your species has done?} He inquired.

"Touché."

Alloran swung his main eyes over to focus on me and swept them up and down. As if seeing me for the first time. He smiled his Andalite smile. {That was a brash move young man; the sort Elfangor would have approved of,} he winked. {But given the situation, fairly well-calculated.}

Oh is that what it was? I was just ticked they'd called my father treasonous. Couldn't argue with results though. Rachel looked up at me like she knew damn well I had just been angry, and winked. Yep, she knew.

Alloran turned to Jake with all four eyes. {You have given me a freedom I never expected to again enjoy, at a time when I thought I would be forced to witness the enslavement of so many more. I have witnessed a lifetime of horrors but you have saved me a lifetime more. Elfangor's brother calls you Prince and you demand the respect of his son. Disgraced and despised as I am, if you will have me, I will follow your command.}

"I'd be honoured War-Prince," Jake said solemnly. "to have you on our side."

Alloran dipped his head. Then he turned towards Ax.

{_Aristh_ Aximili?}

Ax shook his head, the first movement I'd seen in a bit. {Yes War-Prince Alloran, it is good to finally meet you. I'm happy to congratulate you on your freedom.}

{Thank you.} He shifted. {However, I would like to apologize, for my part in your brother's death. I knew him well. He deserved better. But you should know he died as he lived, a hero.}

{You had no part in his death other than to witness it, and I'm sorry that was forced on you. But thank you for confirming what the others have told me about how he died.}

They reached their tails up and over and touched blades in welcome.

We heard hooves clipping off the metal just outside the bridge and then the doors split open to reveal one of Asculan's junior officers.

"Not big on admitting defeat in person I take it," Marco muttered.

{Not used to defeat,} Alloran said simply.

The officer fixed his eyes on me and I saw a strange mixture of awe and disgust. He was meeting the son of a legendary hero, but I wasn't exactly what he was expecting. Couldn't blame him really.

{The son of Elfangor?}

"Tobias."

He ignored me. {You will keep your lineage a secret outside of this inner circle who already possess the knowledge? As will they?}

"I will." The others nodded their assent.

{You will under no circumstances visit the Andalite homeworld, unless expressly requested to by the Andalite High Command? And if so, you will under no circumstances divulge the true nature of your heritage?}

"I won't."

{Then by command of Captain Asculan, _aristh_ Aximili is hereby elevated to the rank of Prince. Four Escafil devices will be provided to Prince Aximili to be used as he sees fit based on condition they are kept under the direct supervision of Prince Aximili or his senior officers. Furthermore Prince Aximili is appointed official liason between the Andalite fleet and the people of Earth.} He finished and stood stone-still, waiting for a response.

Ax had turned a darker shade of blue at the mention of his promotion. He'd explained their hierarchy to me before and a direct elevation from _aristh_ to Prince was nigh unheard of. {Thank the Captain for me. I will carry out my duties to the best of my abilities and make sure the Escafil devices are treated with the respect expected in accordances with our laws.}

He turned to Jake. {Prin- Jake? Would you care to finish?}

Jake grinned. "Sure thing Prince Ax." He winked, Ax smiled.

He turned to the waiting officer, "You may inform Captain Asculan that I hereby formally surrender command of the Pool ship. It's all his."

The officer nodded stiffly, turned and walked out the door. And with that. The war was over.

**Chapter 19  
****Rachel:**

Things picked up steam after that. The Andalites may have been slow to get there but once they set things in motion they didn't dilly-dally.

Now that the remaining Yeerks still in hosts on the Pool Ship knew we had the means to make good on our deal they made their surrender formal. We contacted the remaining Yeerk ships in orbit and gave them a choice. Surrender or destruction.

Most chose the former, as I had suspected they would. But three chose to fight and were destroyed without much trouble or mercy. Jake flinched every time. We had learned from Alloran that as a result of the destruction of the Earth-based pool, the Yeerks would have most likely brought all the hosts in their possession up onto ships in orbit. Which meant that on one of those ships, Jake's parents were being held. We hadn't had time to check out all the hosts on the Pool Ship yet, those freed or waiting to be, and odds are Jake's parents were amongst them, but I knew until we found them, he'd have seen their faces in every ship that fought back.

We, the Animorphs, were huddled together in the central pool of the ship, Ax was off with the Andalites, organizing what would eventually be the final morphs of the Yeerks. I looked over at Jake, his face was desperate as he searched the lines of hosts on their way to have their Yeerks leave them into the now-refilled pool. Marco did his best to keep Jake upbeat; Jake's parents would've been important enough as leverage that the Visser would've certainly kept them within close reach, but it was an uphill battle for him.

The freeing of the hosts was fairly exhaustive. None of us had known just how many the Yeerks had taken. We had all assumed that with the...disposal, of the main pool the first time, it would've been short and sweet but as Yeerk ships kept coming in and unloading their crews for deinfestation we realized it was more than we though. Probably at least two thousand controllers were waiting in lines, carefully monitored by the free Hork-Bajir and Andalite warriors, to be freed.

It was one of the most touching sights I've seen. Strangely uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. The newly freed humans and Hork-Bajir reacted in a whole range of ways when newly freed. Some cried, some raged, some looked like they had trouble believing it was real while still others looked like they wanted nothing more than access to the flush controls for the pool themselves. Families reunited, old hosts reassuring each other that it was real, they were finally free, and it was as I was watching a newly freed young boy, who couldn't have been more than six or seven, jump into the arms of his recently freed mother, that I saw them. My aunt and uncle. Jake's parents. Just at the bottom of the steps leading to a deinfestation pier. Though when I thought about it, they were all deinfestation piers this time. It was a nice thought.

I looked over at him. He was still scanning the lines, his face becoming more downtrodden by the minute as Cassie and Marco did their best to reassure. Tobias caught my eye and followed it as I shifted my gaze back. He smiled and punched Jake in the shoulder before pointing. I think Jake would've collapsed with relief if Cassie and Marco hadn't been standing to either side of him to catch them. They held him up for a moment before he regained his composure and began to walk over. We all followed.

He stopped a few feet before his parents and we all grouped up behind him. No doubt he wanted the Yeerks controlling his parents to see, and understand their loss. Just as he wanted his parents to see him and know their freedom was minutes away. Tobias had told me, how Jake had morphed falcon in front of his controller-parents even as they tried to kill him. To give his parents hope.

He waited until they noticed us. Him. "Two minutes mom. Two minutes dad. Two minutes," he whispered. Looks of hatred crossed his parents faces but I knew inside they'd be weak with joy.

And two minutes later, his promise came true. Jake's dad was first, and he waited for his wife. Then they came running back down the pier, feet pounding on the metal, and crushed their son between them.

"Oh, God, Jake," his mom whispered. "We never knew. We never knew."

"We're so sorry," his dad added quietly.

They noticed us standing behind him.

"Rachel?"

"Hi Aunt Jean. Hi Uncle Steve. Glad to see you guys made it," I said. Perhaps more casually than I should have. Just cause I was used to this war didn't mean they hadn't just been through their own personal hell.

Jake's dad Steve smiled. "You too Rachel." His gaze shifted. "Cassie, Marco? You too?" He looked at Tobias, confused.

"Tobias. We met once," Tobias explained. "A long time ago."

"Where's Tom?" Jean asked. Suddenly concerned. "Jake, where's Tom? The Yeerk said he'd been one of theirs for years. Where is he? It's over now. He should be here now. Where is he? Where's my son?" She sounded frantic.

Jake looked like he wanted to crawl into the nearest hole and never leave. His eyes filled with tears. Cassie looked at the nearest wall. Marco's eyes found the floor. Tobias caught my gaze, grabbed my hand, squeezed it, then followed Marco's lead and stared at the floor. I met Jean's eyes, and I guess whatever look passed through my stare gave her her answer. Her hand flew to her mouth. I looked away.

"Oh. No. Nonononono." Jean would've collapsed but Steve caught her. Whipped her around in his embrace.

"Tell me he's not still a controller," Steve begged. "Tell me he's free."

"He's free Mr. Berenson," Marco said. As comfortingly as he could. "Tom's not with us. But he's free."

Jake looked unsteady on his feet. Cassie put her arms around his shoulders. Marco patted him on the back.

I turned away and Tobias pulled me into his arms.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. Can we just- can we go somewhere else?" I didn't want to stand there and watch as my aunt and uncle cried over the son I killed. Just because I knew it was the right thing to do didn't make me any happier about it.

"Sure thing."

He led me away and Cassie and Marco followed. This was a moment for Jake's family. And we all knew if he wanted to tell them the truth, he didn't need us there to hear it. I had tears in my eyes. God, I hated crying. It wasn't exactly something I was known for, or used to. But given the circumstances even Marco kept his mouth shut.

Once all the hosts had been freed the Andalites began shuttling humans and Hork-Bajir back to the surface. The humans back to California and the Hork-Bajir to the valley. It was large enough to hold them all and as seer, Toby was in the best position to decide on their future.

Jake had rejoined us but no one had asked the extent of what he'd told his parents. He'd tell us in his own time.

We had one more run in with Asculan over the trophy prisoner, the Visser. But he was one Yeerk in the overall fight with the Andalites, whereas he was the leader of the invasion of Earth, and Jake was in no mood to give in on that. We won that one too and the Visser joined us in his prison as we were shuttled down to Earth in Ax's new official liaison ship. We called ahead to General Doubleday and asked him to contact Washington, to prevent any sort of mass panic at the sight of an alien ship landing.

We landed in the Mall in Washington. You know the place. The Washington Monument overlooking a large field with the large rectangular fountain in the centre. Capitol building at the other end. There must've been thousands there waiting for us. About a third were security with the rest being reporters, and as we touched down, it started to dawn on us. This was it.

Just this morning we'd been a hairsbreadth from death and now we were about to walk out of this ship, the saviours of mankind. I looked around the ship. Marco looked as happy as I'd seen him which didn't surprise me. He was a natural showman and he was about to receive the largest audience he could hope for. Cassie looked happy but still sort of troubled. Her gaze alternately between smiling and looking at Jake. Jake saw me looking around and gave me a sad smile. We'd have to work on getting him to quit blaming himself. Ax looked like Ax. Three years fighting alongside him and it was still hard as hell to tell what an alien with four eyes and no mouth was thinking. Glanced over to Tobias. Saw him looking at me and smiling. I smiled back and entwined my fingers in his.

"Alright people," Marco said in his best authoritative voice, "Today is a day, which shall live in infamy." He grinned. "Well everybody, ready for your close-up?"

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Well, there we go. Animorphs out of real danger and back on Earth. Now a chance at a happy future begins. I went with the 'Andalites are xenophobic' angle as a reason to give over some cubes because I couldn't think of many others and if I had've gone with the 'Ax challenges someone' I would've basically been writing #54 + Rachel. Also, to be honest I wasn't terribly thrilled with how Tobias turned out in the series. The guy goes from being a bully-magnet to overcoming horrible fears of water for Rachel, taking torture and not breaking, stealing a tank with Marco, helping Ax with a nuke-capable jet - and all to fold like a cheap umbrella in the last two books? Wasn't a fan. So I like to think that if, sure, this is sort of OOC for Tobias in the last 2 books, it would at least make sense following the first 52.

Please review and let me know!


	4. She Never Asked - Chapters 20 - 23

A/N As usual, this is my story, Animorphs are not my property. Not until I discover time travel anyway. Anyway, I had wanted to add another chapter to this section but I was having trouble with it, and, eh, this'll suffice for now. I'll just roll the next one up with a few more in the next section I toss up. Enjoy! And please feel free to review.

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**Chapter 20**

**Rachel:**

Marco grinned as he hit the door release and we stepped out into the sunlight. The roar that hit us was like a physical blow as a few thousand reporters shouted questions at us they had to know we couldn't hear. That was reporters for you. I should know, my dad was one. Is one. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. I hadn't been able to get my dad to the Hork-Bajir valley. He'd been across the country, too far away. I had just hoped distance had kept him safe. Was he out there watching this right now?

"People, people please!" Marco stepped forward with his arms raised. Knowing they couldn't hear him either but talking all the same. That's Marco for you. "I'll be here all week!"

What was it I had said to Tobias? Media storm? Try media blizzard. Media cyclone. I saw more bright lights go off in twenty seconds than if I had been staring at a strobe light. You know how if you ever watch a football game you just see lights going off constantly around the stadium, sixty thousand people all taking pictures in rapid succession? It was like that but focused in an area maybe a hundred meters across and a mile long. These reporters cameras were going to run out of batteries before we were even down the ramp and onto solid ground. I guess it was sort of hard to warn the government 'expect some alien ship in Washington' without a few reporters getting wind.

I glanced at the others. Marco was smiling, waving and just generally having the time of his life. He'd be fine. Jake was smiling but it looked half-hearted. He was still in a funk and probably would be for a while. We'd have to do something to get that resolved, or at least support him until he could figure things out for himself. Make sure he didn't keep blaming himself for what happened. I certainly didn't and even Tobias had calmed down once I helped him realize what it must've cost Jake to do it in the first place.

He still wasn't happy about it. Just...accepting.

Cassie was alternating between looking at the roaring crowd and at Jake. She slipped her arm around his waist and gave a little squeeze. He looked down at her and leaned in so their forheads touched briefly. I wondered about those two. And if I was being honest with myself, I didn't see it happening. They'd come in liking each other, and gone strong for so much of it but things had changed. Cassie had made sacrifices, gone against things she believed but had still maintained those beliefs.

Jake? Jake had done what was necessary, even if it hurt him to do it.

And a lot of what became necessary at the end, went against what Cassie believed. I'd talk to Cassie when I had the chance. But I knew that a lot of what I had done had gone against her beliefs too. And I wasn't very optimistic about swaying her. I felt a gentle pressure on my hand and looked up. Tobias was looking out at the crowd with a sheen of sweat on his pale face, looking like he wanted nothing more than to grow wings and make his escape. I understood. He had always been a bit of a loner type and he'd just spent the last three years living as a hawk in a meadow. He got fidgety when I took him to the mall and here we were in front of thousands with their attention focused solely on us. I squeezed his hand back.

{I suddenly wish I was back on a Yeerk ship facing down Andalites who looked like they wanted my head,} he said in nervous thoughtspeech.

I squeezed tighter and grinned. "Don't worry, I'm sure Marco will take care of most of the questions. Or, you know, all of them. The guy acts like he's got a microphone held to his mouth 24/7 anyway, now he's got three thousand."

Tobias smiled but went even paler at the number. I winced. "Sorry. But they are seeing an alien ship in person for the first time."

{I saw an alien ship for the first time three years ago,} he muttered grimly, {I didn't take forty thousand pictures of it.}

I smiled. I would've pointed out our lack of a camera at the time but I knew he was just being unreasonable on account of the nerves.

I looked back at Ax who hadn't stepped out.

"Ax, come on guy," I said, "This is your moment too. You're one of us."

{That is all right Rachel,} he said, sounding somewhat uneasy himself. {These humans are taking enough pictures without seeing me as well. I will return to the '_Elfangor_',} I heard pride enter his voice at that, {and await further instructions from High Command. I will see you all again soon, I am sure.}

We all turned and gave him a little wave before descending the ramp so his ship could lift off. We walked slowly up to small makeshift stage that had been set up for us behind the police cordon, set up to allow the best view of us for the crowd that stretched the entire length of the Mall.

Marco answered about ninety percent of the questions with the remaining ten percent spread between the rest of us. We were about twenty minutes in when I looked over at Tobias, who still looked like he would've been happy to faint if it meant someone carrying him away from this. He caught my eye and I winked.

{Ya know,} he said, a mischevious grin appearing across his face, {I believe I promised you some fine dining at a local Burger King.}

I smiled back as a feather pattern etched itself onto my skin. "I believe you did."

It took a few moments but the crowd quieted down as those in front bore witness to the sight of Tobias and I melting into a red-tailed hawk and bald eagle respectively.

Marco looked over, confused about the sudden lessening of the questions being hurled at our group and sighed as he saw us.

{Shall we?} Tobias asked. Sounding much happier even with all the attention now focused squarely on us two.

{After you, Red Baron.}

We flapped and gained altitude. Soaring over the heads of reporters and security alike as they turned to watch us fly away.

"And there goes Xena and Bird-boy," I heard Marco mutter, "hogging all the attention."

{Ha HA!} Tobias crowed, thrilled to be in the air and away from the crowd again. {I think we just learned what it's like to witness three thousand minds getting simultaneously blown.}

I smiled inwardly. I admit, that in the back of my mind, I was wondering how we were going to get some burgers without any money but I'd worry about it when we got there cause at that moment then and there, I didn't care.

It was sunny. It was warm. And I was with Tobias.

I was happy.

**Chapter 21**

**Tobias:**

**Two years later**

I was back. Back in that corridor of death. Walking down a hallway of blood. The Blade Ship. I knew what was coming. I'd lived it once and relived it many times more. My favourite nightmare it seemed.

"I just work at a pharmacy." WHAM! A middle-aged woman, maybe forty-five, swatted down and crumpled straight into the ground.

"My mother's very sick. I'm all she has." CRUNCH! A sickening sound as my jaws closed over over the head of a young man in his thirties. More cracks followed as I twisted my jaws and snapped his neck to an angle that could never be mistaken for natural.

"My son just turned three." I grabbed the shoulder of a young woman in my gaping maw and hurled her against the wall with enough force to dent it. With enough force to kill.

I knew the rest. Twenty more would follow. A pilot. A loan officer. A former corporal. A clerk from the grocery in my hometown. A nurse. A secretary. A fitness trainer. More.

_They're people. They need to be saved._

She needs to be saved.

_They're people. They need to be saved._

They're obstacles. They need to be moved.

"Please."

CRUNCH!

"I want to be free."

WHAM!

"I want to live."

CRUNCH!

"Please."

WHAM!

And then I got to the end. A tall, slender blond girl. Facing away from me. It didn't matter. I had to save Rachel. I rose to my full nine feet and raised one frying pan-sized paw.

_Someone loves this girl. Someone, somewhere is about to have their life ruined. Forever. Because of you. _

_She matters. _

_She's loved._

She's in the way.

My paw came down as she began to turn.

NOOOOOO!

Tobias!

RACHEL!

"TOBIAS! WAKE! UP!"

My eyes snapped open and I found myself staring into the two most beautiful blue eyes I'd ever known. I sat bolt upright. I was shivering. It was a warm night but the sweat that coated me was cooling quickly. Though temperature didn't have much to do with my reaction.

Rachel wrapped her arms around me then grabbed an edge of the blanket and began to towel off my back. "Oh, Tobias," she whispered, "the Blade Ship?"

I nodded and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Put my head in my hands and took a few steadying breaths.

"The Blade Ship."

"For me, Tobias. That was for me." She always reassured me with that and though it worked as a salve to my conscience, it was far from a cure. Another month or two, and I'd be back there.

I leaned back in and kissed her. "I know." I smiled. "But I don't think there's much more sleep on the books for me at the moment. Think I'll just go watch some T.V."

"Want me to join you?"

"No, that's ok. I'll be fine. Go back to sleep. Who knows, maybe if I'm feeling useful you'll even wake up to breakfast." I winked.

She smiled. She understood. I wasn't the only one with a nightmare unique to me. Her's was about David. We seemed to take turns shaking each other awake but luckily it wasn't as common as it had been. I'd never asked her about David's final fate, and I never would. If she ever wanted to tell me, she knew where to find me. She rolled over facing away from me, to let me think she wasn't too upset, but I knew by the time I was walking out the door she'd have rolled back over and be staring at my retreating back. Still, it wasn't something she'd worry too much about I knew.

I sighed and levered myself off the bed. Threw on a robe and my moccasins and headed out the door. I heard a rustle as Rachel rolled over in time to see me closing the door. Poor girl. I hated to see her worry let alone because of me. Part of it was my own damn fault and I knew that. She'd warned me against it, but it was something I just couldn't let go. Humans had died in our fights before, but never so many, so fast, from just one of us.

And so it was something I had to do; I found out.

With the war over, all the people who had died as controllers in the war could finally be searched for, and found. It took months but the families of almost all of them were contacted. Not all were found of course. Sometimes people just go missing. Sometimes families didn't want to believe that their loved one may have been one of the ones killed by an alien warlord and fed to other aliens. But after the revelation of the invasion and the war, a lot knew that the unthinkable was no longer unthinkable. The fact that the bodies of the ones I killed could be retrieved from the Blade Ship made identifying them easier but believe me, it was still hard. The families had been warned, of the state of their loved ones, but most wanted a final confirmation. I hadn't been present for that. I had waited until a week after the last ones were confirmed. Then I visited the families.

A lot were shocked. They knew who I was. Everyone in the world did by that point. We weren't just national heroes, we were international heroes. The kids who'd saved the planet. The families were just shocked that I'd bothered to find them. To come explain actions that had taken place in a war. But I did. I found out about the controllers in that hallway. The people who had never asked to be there and never stood a chance. And the one emotion that was universal amongst their families and that I hadn't expected, was forgiveness. A couple were mad, most were grief-stricken, but not one said, "It's your fault."

It was a father, whose daughter had been one I'd killed in that hallway, whose grandson's third birthday had just come to pass, who explained it best. The world knew what the Yeerks were, what they did to people, and when I told him I killed her, he replied simply, "You freed her."

"She died."

"She lived."

You'd think that would've taken care of the nightmares. Nothing except time ever does that, it turns out.

I wandered through the house towards the kitchen. I glanced at the microwave. 4:57 a.m. Sigh. Well I got a little sleep at least. And now I was hungry. Maybe that was the hawk side of me, nightmares didn't do much to diminish my appetite. Gotta eat to live right? Can't have a little bad dream scare me off of that. All right, human food. Gotta have some human food. If you think that sounds like a stupid thought to have at five in the morning, don't. I spent the first thirteen years of my life growing up in households where 'keep Tobias fed' was not exactly near the top of the to-do list, and the next few hunting rodents. Now that I was human again, permanently, I had every intention on trying to eat as proper as I could manage.

I let my eyes wander through the fridge. Steak. People ate steak and eggs for breakfast right? I wasn't big on eggs, but steak solved most things. I grabbed an eye-of-round and heated up the frying pan. I hoped the smell wouldn't wake Rachel up, but I knew it probably would and if it did I'd at least have made good on my promise of breakfast. I thought about it for a second, grabbed a second steak, tossed them both in the pan. I flipped on the television and started flipping channels. Got through seventeen channels and only saw the word 'Animorphs' on four of them. Things were calming down. Kept flipping. Stopped. Ah, Animal Planet my old friend. And showing Blue Planet at that. A show about nothing but underwater animals, everything that terrified me, and I loved it more than most. That'd do.

I looked outside. It was still dark out, pre-dawn. I could see through the windows that made up most of the outer walls. We lived in a very open concept house, large glass windows made up a lot of the walls, both inner and outer, though we didn't have many inner walls. I'd spent three years as a hawk in a meadow. I wanted as few walls and ceilings as structurally possible. It was, I'll admit, a little more...posh...than either of us had intended, certainly not something I'd ever dreamed of walking through let alone living in while I was growing up in the shack my uncle lived in, but the government of almost every nation on Earth had thrown money at all of us to the point where we had to just give in. Take some as a sign of good faith and hope they'd get the hint that we didn't do it for fame and fortune.

All five of us were millionaires in our own right, though aside from Marco we didn't really revel in it. Our house was on the beach, as far from any others as we'd been able to manage. It gave us maybe a mile of clear beach on either side of us which was nice. Even with all the frenzy about us I still liked my privacy and I knew Rachel did too. It was a little more upscale than either Jake's or Cassie's who had both opted for houses in a more suburban setting. Rich suburban but still. Marco had a beach house too but he also had two others that I knew of so that wasn't saying much. The truth was Rachel and I would've been fine in a one-room cabin in the woods but I wanted as much view of the sky as possible so Rachel had compromised with me and we'd found this. If I'm being honest I wasn't really a fan. I had always lived small before the war and completely open during it. This was the closest we could get to a middle-ground but it still felt excessive. We had a cleaning lady in once a week. It wasn't that we were too good to do it ourselves but it wasn't exactly something that got Rachel's heart racing and although I had done most of the cleaning growing up with my aunt and uncle, their places usually got dirty faster than I could clean so the prospect of just some light dusting and not picking beer cans up off the kitchen floor caught me off-guard. We each owned our own car, mine was a Cadillac, her's was a Mercedes. Nice but reasonable. Plenty of people who'd never saved the world owned nicer vehicles than us. And I think that of the five of us still on Earth, we were the happiest.

Cassie was happy enough as it was but wouldn't achieve our level, that much I knew from Rachel. I still talked to her occasionally, even when Rachel wasn't around, we had been closest in our ideals during the war after all, and from the sounds of it she was doing well, but she didn't have Jake. And probably never would. They had tried, once the war ended. They had given it an honest-to-God shot, I knew that much at least. They'd even come on a couple double dates with Rachel and I. But it had lasted two months, three tops, and they'd just continued to drift apart, as they had for the last bit of the war. Now she was with some Ron, or Ronnie fellow, a government agency type which suited her perfectly seeing as she now worked for the EPA. She'd helped carve out a preserve for the Hork-Bajir in Yellowstone, got Arbron's Taxxons morphs suitable to their needs and helped relocate them around the jungles of the world. She had turned down endorsements that I'm pretty sure left Marco weeping when we weren't around and just continued on strong with her environmental stuff. She'd gotten her dad's Wildlife Rehabilitation farm government funding and now it housed about three or four times the animals it did when we used to use it as a base. She was every tree hugger's hero and she was happy, doing what she had always envisioned herself as being meant to do, but I could still hear a catch in her voice whenever we spoke. One that spoke of what she had lost with Jake.

Marco on the other hand was the only one who might've had us beat on the happiness factor but even then it would have been close. This was a dream come true for him. We chatted occasionally and from what I'd heard last time we spoke he'd been with his fourth girlfriend in as many months, owned numerous cars worth more than both mine and Rachel's put together and had a condo to match his beach house and at least one villa somewhere. Even people who love the fame need to escape every once in a while I guess. He had become, more or less, our unofficial spokesman. He was the only one of us really interested in the showbiz act. He'd always been a natural performer and now he had the audience to go with it. I'd seen him give more interviews in the first three months than the rest of us gave in the first year. Combined. He had a regular acting gig and was acting as the liaison between a few Hollywood producers and the rest of us for an Animorphs movie. We had all figured it was bound to happen and while we were interested in the idea, we weren't interested in the details, so we were happy to let him take care of those. The only thing preventing Marco from true glory though, was a slight change in tone whenever we talked about the others. I knew he still worried about Jake. He knew as well as I that Jake and Cassie had tried but failed, and it seemed as though Jake hadn't tried with anyone else since.

It was, in fact, Jake who worried us most. Well, perhaps worried was a strong word. Concerned maybe? He tried his best to seem okay whenever we were around but there was something in his eyes. A haunting of sorts. He lived well enough, that was no doubt. The government had seen to that, but he was still often times in his own little world. He was matched only by Cassie in his lack of enthusiasm for interviews, and I never thought I'd ever say I wanted to give an interview more than anyone. I didn't. They made me uncomfortable as all hell. But Jake didn't either and everyone who ever saw it knew it right off the bat. We'd tried hard enough. His own parents had thanked him for doing everything he could, and freeing their eldest son in the end. If a former controller says thank you for freeing someone, you know they mean it. But he still beat himself up for what he saw as a failure, even though he had stood almost zero chance of success. But still, when we saw him next we would try again.

I flipped the steaks, pressed down. I preferred my own blue rare; I'm sure you can take a guess as to why that was. But Rachel was more of a medium-rare gal. I smiled at the thought. A girl like that was rare, for sure, but there was nothing-

I felt slim arms slide around my waist and a pressure on my back as Rachel leaned her head against it.

"Steak at a quarter after 5 in the morning?" She moaned. "You're cruel."

I smiled. "Still more appetizing than mouse at 7," I answered. "Besides, I have one frying up for you." I pulled my own off onto a plate and flipped hers over in the pan.

She groaned again and put her chin up on my shoulder. She took one hand off my waist and reached forward to toy with the ring on my left ring finger. It featured two tiger's-eye gemstone birds set into a platinum surface. One with a unique diamond and topaz cut for a head, the other with a a slanted rectangle ruby for a tail. Only one of two in existence.

She sighed happily. "I knew I wouldn't regret this."

**Chapter 22**

**Rachel:**

I rolled over and sniffed. I could smell meat cooking. I'd smelled enough cooking meat fighting aliens that carried Dracon beams that you'd think it might bother me, but good God I loved steak. Tobias probably hadn't meant to wake me again, but he had. And I'd let him know exactly how upset I was about it once I stopped telling him how much I loved him for breakfast. I knew he would've made two. I made my way downstairs and snuck up behind him. He had never liked being freaked out as a hawk but he'd gotten more used to the occasional, playful fright over the last two years.

"I knew I wouldn't regret this."

He leaned back and gave me a quick kiss.

"Go have a seat on the couch. I'll be over with breakfast momentarily." He smiled. " Soon as I'm done cooking all the flavour out of yours." He winked.

I smiled back at him as I made my way over to the couch. I knew he'd spent years hunting rodents for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but still, I shuddered at just how little he cooked his steak. Seared was an overstatement. Flame-kissed, maybe.

I sat down and grinned at what he'd put on. Blue Planet. A guy who's greatest fears revolved around mostly water, and he was watching footage from thousands of feet underneath it. He always had been a meaningful type of guy.

I guess I couldn't blame him. As far as the media was concerned, Jake was the sacrificial hero who'd led a war to save his brother. Cassie, the morally righteous tree hugger. Marco was the complex comedian who'd fought for his mother.

And me and Tobias? We weren't just the couple. We were _the_ couple. Brad Pitt married who? Who cares? For most of the last year and more, no couple outside of Tobias and I mattered in the least. I was the blond who looked like the one you might whistle at in the mall only to find your lips torn off. I was the model who'd became a warrior. Who could've had an easy life but chose to fight. I was the fearless cousin, the one who'd accepted a suicide mission to save a family member from a fate worse than death.

Tobias was the one who'd come from a broken home. Who'd been nothing but beaten down until he found something worth standing up for. The one that had been trapped but chose to fight, knowing every mission could be his last as the only one unable to heal himself. The one that had been given the chance to escape as a human but continued the fight to keep his love safe.

Even the final hurrah on the Blade Ship had been twisted to the point where it was Tobias taking on an entire ship to save me. Ax wasn't even involved in most versions of the story anymore.

But that was only because they hadn't heard. Because we tried to keep things to ourselves, as best we could, given the frenzy. We had the occasional argument same as any other couple for sure. You show me a couple that says they don't fight and I'll show you a pair of liars. But there was one. One fight that had been a little more heated than most. It had been just a little more than a year after the war.

**Chapter 23**

Tobias and I had moved in together, with our parents blessing of course, and things had been getting progressively more tense. I hated to admit it but I missed the fight. I wasn't wanting people to be in trouble again, to have their lives ruined, but I had wanted a fight. It was getting to the point where any fight would do. And poor Tobias was the closest. We were celebrating my eighteenth birthday, we'd had a get-together the week before so it was just Tobias and I, and he said he'd be right back, just had to demorph and remorph. I hadn't asked him to stay human. And I'd promised myself I never would; if he wanted to stay human he'd do it of his own accord. But right then and there I snapped. I don't even remember what was said but, well, I've been called a particular unkind word before and I think that it was a pretty good descriptor for me at that moment. Words were exchanged, heatedly, for the better part of an hour, during which Tobias demorphed and remorphed right there in front of me. That did _not_ help the situation. I hadn't even noticed myself doing it but at one point he stopped yelling and stared at me. I had looked down at my arm to see fur growing there. I had been so mad I was going grizzly without intending to.

Suffice to say he spent that night in a hotel. And the next few. And then a couple weeks.

It was maybe two and half weeks later and I was calmer, but not calm, if that makes sense. Though for the life of me I couldn't understand why I was so mad. He hadn't even done anything.

But...Damn it! He was human! Be a human! It wasn't like we were in a war anymore. We didn't need another warrior. I needed my boyfriend. I needed the guy I loved to be a guy. I knew it was selfish of me but anger had never been much of a catalyst for logic.

I sighed. I wouldn't ask him. I wouldn't make him. I just wished he wanted to.

I had grabbed a bucket of Ben and Jerry's and plopped down on the couch. Had ignored a call from Tobias earlier that day. And the day before. He didn't really do anything wrong but I wasn't in a terribly reasonable mood. I'd flipped on the T.V. and prepared to veg. Forget Disneyland; ice cream and T.V., the happiest place on Earth. I had every intention of watching trash T.V. but it was still relatively early after the win and every channel I flipped to had the same thing. Animorphs. Animorphs. Animorphs parody on the Simpsons. Animorphs. Marco in an interview. About the Animorphs.

Damn it.

Kept flipping. Ah, Animal Planet. Well if I had to see something animal related, and it seems I did, I may as well see if the pros can teach me something I don't already know. What do we have here? Blue Planet: The Deep. Cool. Been there, done that, let's see if they get it right. Goblin shark. Weird. Lanternfish. Weird. Vampire squid. Cool, but even weirder.

Wait? Squid? Damn.

I'd sighed again and forced myself to look at it from another angle, despite one hell of an unwillingness to do so. I remembered that day all too well. The day we'd gone down to turn off the signal from the Pemalite ship. The only thing we knew of that could go as deep as we needed was a giant squid. And the only way to get ahold of a giant squid was to go down as sperm whales and fight one. Fight a giant squid, three miles straight down, in the crushing blackness, and it was Tobias and I who had done it. I'd made Tobias help me, to cheat, to make sure I was one of the ones going and he did. Then he cheated to make sure he was the second one. A boy who'd spent so much time looking up at the freedom of the sky and dreaming, who'd been trapped as a creature of that freedom, and he followed me. He fought through an absolutely crippling fear of his because he knew he'd go to lengths to save me that the others might have shied away from. The Blade Ship, though it still gave him nightmares, was proof of that.

I looked at the phone. Two more missed calls since I'd last looked. Local Sheraton hotel. I picked up the receiver and hit redial. Three rings. Four. Was he out or just demorphing? Fi-

"Hi. Rachel?"

"Uh, hey Tobias. How's it going?" _Are you seriously that stupid, Rachel?_ I could've happily smacked myself upside the head at that.

"Been better. Been worse too," he admitted. I smiled at that. No doubt we'd both been worse before.

Remembered the time he'd spent in a torture cube. Stopped smiling.

"Uh, hey, look, maybe you wanna come on back home tonight? I'm watching some scary stuff, I guess uh, I guess I wouldn't mind some company."

"Sure. I think I'd really like that."

A momentary pause. I went first.

"...I love you."

I could practically hear him smile. "I love you too."

He was home twenty minutes later.

He came in through the front door and saw me sitting on the couch, bowl of popcorn in my lap, glass of wine in hand, and an identical glass sitting on the side table for him. While technically we were't old enough to drink alcohol, we'd been sent so many different thank you baskets from so many people, governments, and countries that some had slipped though. Moreover the law was, shall we say, somewhat more forgiving towards us. After what we'd been through, someone was going to give us hell for the occasional beer or glass of wine? No one wanted to be the constable who arrested a global hero for a misdemeanour. Not that that was a common event for us.

Tobias sat down on the couch, grabbed his glass of wine, and sidled up next to me. "So just what was so scary you needed little ol' me around?" He asked with good humour.

He grinned when I nodded towards the T.V. "Nothing much. Just some old memories. The sort you were involved in." I risked a glance up. "The sort I wanted you around for." I hesitated. "I'm sorry by the way, for what happened, I shouldn't have-"

"Rach, neither apologies nor explanations needed. Let's just watch some T.V."

"I know, I just wanted to-"

"Hey Rach." He glanced at the T.V. Looked at me. Grinned. "Remember that time I saved you from a giant squid?"

I looked up at him. He winked.

We made it through one glass of wine each before he was carrying me to the bedroom.

I'll leave it at that.

The next morning I woke up with a smile on my face, expecting to see him crouched on his perch in the corner. Instead I rolled over and found my face buried in a very human chest.

_What?!_ I'd jolted up and out of our bed like it had shocked me. "Tobias! Tobias, what are you doing?! Demorph!"

He just rolled over, eyes still closed. {Ugh, please Rachel, it is very early, it is the weekend, I spent the last two weeks in a hotel bed and I wouldn't mind another couple hours in my own.}

"Tobias! This isn't funny! Demorph!"

{Uh, yeah, Rach...about that...}

"Tobias!"

He rolled back over. Opened one eye. {You never asked.}

"I...I never...what?!" This had to be a mistake. He had to grow wings again. He had to. I had wanted him human but this was beginning to feel too real, too quick. He'd choose of his own accord, when things were calm and it'd be the most romantic thing ever but he wouldn't do it when things were heated, not after we'd just fought. I wouldn't be the reason.

"You never asked." He swung human legs out and sat up on the edge of the bed. Wiped the sleep out of his eyes with human fingers. Used his human voice. "A year, more, and you never asked. Yeah we had that last fight, but even though I knew the driving reason, we both did, you didn't ask." He smiled. "Remember during the war? You wanted me human so bad. So bad. But since it ended, you never asked me to change. Never asked me to give it up, knowing what it meant to me. Well - I know what this means to you."

He stood up and came over to me. Took my hand in his as I felt tears threaten. I couldn't imagine what this took of him.

"Rach, I was okay being a hawk because it kept me in the fight. It kept me with you and the others. It kept me from a life that held no future apart from more hurt. With you? I have a future. A real one. A happy one. I don't need an escape anymore. I'm happy when you are...and I thought this would make you happy..." He paused. "This is who I am remember? That's what you always said. Now I'm me again." He gave a weak grin. {With added features.}

He looked at me with hope in his eyes. A hesitant smile on his face. He'd given up his greatest freedom just to see me smile. I wasn't about to let him down.

I smiled back. Hugged him so tight I must have cut off blood to everything below his chest.

"If all it took was not asking...why'd you wait so long?"

"Why does an addict say 'just one more'?" He responded shyly. Winced. Probably remembered his familial tendencies. "I enjoyed it, I'm not denying it but...but a day spent with you is worth every day I spent flying. Flying's a joy, but this is paradise. And I figured, push come to shove, I'd take you over a pair of wings any day of the week." His features sagged slightly. "Please don't be mad. I thought that if I tried to do it in front of you, you'd only feel bad and stop me at the last minute or two. I didn't want that on your shoulders."

I looked up at him, a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.

He smiled. "This is the happiest I've ever been as a human. Please don't be upset."

"Upset? Tobias...I'm anything but." I squeezed him again. "Thank you."I hesitated. "I just didn't want to be the reason...the reason you gave up your wings."

"Rachel...you're the reason I don't need them."

**()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()**

**Possible fluff? Sure, to a degree I guess. But..._They Deserve To Be Happy Damn It! _Seriously. I can't convey my hatred for #54 properly without swearing and loud sounds. So just understand, it's bad. Hope you enjoyed! Please review! It's motivation people!**


	5. Reunited - Chapters 24 - 30

Ugh, if I'm being honest, at this point I regret doing the whole flashback thing. To a degree anyway. I'm not trying to make it confusing, and it shouldn't be, but I'm worried it might end up that way. I just wanted to show them _**being as happy as they deserved to be damn it!**_ At any rate, most of the first chapter takes place about three months before the 'current day' as it were (assuming you read the last chapter, I'm hoping this will be evident). I hope it's easy enough to follow. Please R&R.

Usual disclaimer, Animorphs are not mine.

**Chapter 24**  
He'd proposed a month later. A ring with a nice diamond, held in place by a pair of carved bear paws. It was the most beautiful piece I'd ever seen. But the truth was he'd given up his wings for me; if he had handed me a ring made from a twist tie with a piece of gravel twined into it I'd have said yes just as fast.

We got married eight months later. An outdoor wedding. We'd been worried about a media frenzy but we managed to keep it relatively quiet. It was luckily just family and friends. Though, us being us, those friends included several Hork-Bajir and a couple androids (who were still just regular folk as far as everyone but us were concerned), because we lost the chance at normalcy a long-time ago. It was cool that we held the record for first wedding with aliens at it though. Officially anyway. No one knew if anyone attending weddings over the last few years had been controllers. But still. Cool.

I had Jordan and Sara as my bridesmaids, Cassie got the maid of honour role. Tobias had Jake and Marco as his groomsmen and even Ax had spaced...warped...flown in to act as best man. He had offered to morph human and don a suit for the proceedings but Tobias had warned him that no eating was to take place until after the wedding, no matter how delicious anything looked.

He stayed Andalite.

That was a sight to see, standing by the altar. For everyone else at least. My eyes never left Tobias. And his never left me. Though I noticed him do a few full-length sweeps as I walked down the aisle before he caught my eyes and smiled.

We'd said our own vows. Done the whole get-up. And walked away from the altar as Mr. and Mrs. Shamtul.

We had discussed it with Ax and it had been determined that Andalite naming conventions weren't exactly on par with our own. Moreover, given the Ellimist's intervention, Loren's amnesia, and Tobias' more-or-less abandonment when he was little, none of us were even 100% sure of his real last name. So, when we finally sat down to think about it, we'd decided that while Fangor was more likely to be quote-unquote accurate (it probably still wasn't) and Shamtul was a tad more...exotic. Befitting really, seeing as I was marrying an alien-human hybrid. Who spent several years as a hawk. While fighting aliens with me.

Man, the stuff we'd gotten used to.

There had been one near incident to keep it from being a picture perfect day but luckily disaster was averted: Ax had somehow managed to get ahold of a bottle of sparkling wine.

Or sparkling wine. Arkling. ling. Wine. Ineuh. Nuh. As he preferred to call it.

"Rayshel! Tobiash! Oh this is wonderufl!" He came up to us, swaying slightly and slurring his words more than playing with them. "The bubblesh on my thongue! 'nd the flavour!"

Tobias and I shared a look but we both just smiled. It was a wedding. Why not let Ax live a little?

"Uh yeah, Ax-man, that's alcohol, it's kinda like your _Illispar_ root or whatever I guess," Tobias said, a slow grin creeping across his face, "It's the sort of thing we enjoy...in moderation. Uh, how much have you had exactly?"

"Whatsevers's not in here," he replied, holding up a bottle a little more than half-way gone. "My head feels so light! Ight-uh!" He said with a joyous look on his face, that slowly started to fade into a look of discomfort. "But my stomach feels heavy." He belched. "Evy."

Tobias' grin faded and he began moving towards Ax slowly. My smile disappeared as my lips pressed together. "Now you listen good Ax. If you barf on my wedding dress, I won't have to worry about ruining it if I turn into an elephant and stomp you in-."

"Come on, Ax," Tobias interrupted and gently pried the bottle from Ax's hand and led him away with his arm around Ax's shoulder as Ax gave another little burp and put one hand over his mouth. "Let's go find Marco. I already warned him once he was your designated 'human' handler today. If you want to throw-up just try to hold it until we find him. Maybe it'll reinforce the fact."

I smiled as I heard him start to tell Ax-

"Rachel?"

I looked up.

"Come on Rach. Your steak's gonna get cold."

**Chapter 25**  
**Tobias (Present Day)**

"Rachel?"

She glanced up.

"Come on Rach. Your steak's gonna get cold."

I smiled as she started to cut into her breakfast. "So whatcha thinking about?"

"Oh nothing much, just you, happy thoughts, the usual," she grinned coyly.

"Ah, well I'm alright with that then. Thought maybe you were thinking about yesterday's mail or something."

"Ugh, Tobias, it looks like it's gonna be a sunny day, my husband made me steak for breakfast, and for once I'm finding morning television to be enjoyable. Don't ruin this."

"Hey, free trip the the Netherlands. Not all bad."

"We get pretty much everything free. If we walked into the airport and just said 'Tahiti please' we'd be on the next flight out."

"I'm just saying - bright side."

"And I'm just saying, the security people better be on guard or I'm going to acquire a troll, stomp the place flat and enjoy some Yeerk paté."

"Trolls are Norway, not Netherlands. And also not real."

"Less talk. More steak."

I smiled at that. The girl liked her steak.

She sighed, "Fine, what's the Netherlands have then?"

"Oh, uh...wooden shoes?"

"Even better. I'll find my size, make sure they're fashionable, and then proceed to kick the ass of every lawyer on the defence team."

I smiled wider. The mail, in case you're wondering what had prompted this little exchange, had been a letter from the International Criminal Court. We were being summoned to the Hague for the final trial of Visser Three. Finally. It had been tied up in the courts for the better part of two years, largely in part to being a completely unprecedented situation. The Visser's lawyers had done their damnedest to delay what they had to know was an inevitable loss for as long as they could but in the end common sense won out. I had wondered about them, wondered what sort of people could argue defense for the leader of the invasion of their home planet.

Rachel on the other hand had to be everything just short of physically restrained from going to their law offices and wrecking them up. Her theory was that if they were too busy dealing with remodeling and psychiatric care they wouldn't be too concerned with their defense of the Visser. Even Marco helped me talk her out of that one. Probably would've been bad P.R. for him.

"So, plans for the day?"

I shrugged. "Might do some more work on my latest paper, run on the beach, a workout, a nap; we'll see."

My latest paper - The Red-Tailed Hawk: A Mouse's Worst Nightmare*. Hey, who said education couldn't be fun? I'd written and gotten published a few papers on ornithology. Turns out even the pros are willing to take advice from someone who's lived the life. I also worked as a part-time professor and did guest lectures for a couple nearby universities. Enough that I didn't feel like I was just taking advantage and living off the charity of others. We all had actual jobs as it turned out. Sure we had enough to live on without working but none of us liked the idea of just lazing around and just sitting on our laurels after three years of fighting a war. We were all also giving our own unique perspectives of our fight to one woman who was working on a biography for us. But with the recent summons to the Hague we'd made arrangements to not have any appointments for the next couple weeks. "And yourself?"

"Ah, I work today dear."

"You sound so displeased."

"Love what you do right?"

"And do you know what's in store for today?"

"Light-heavy," She grinned. "My specialty."

I smiled at that. 'Love what you do.' No doubt she loved what she did. While Rachel did some fashion consulting - turns out it'd take more than a war for her to give that up - she had landed a position unique to our abilities: Xenotechnology Combat and Espionage Specialist. Or, if you're looking for layman's terms, she trained in morph-fighting, and spying. It had taken some serious convincing, along with some serious negotiations, involving at least three human food chains and, I'm pretty sure, a television network deal of some sort, but the Andalites had provided mankind with an Escafil device. One with some very strict rules. We were permitted a specialized international army unit, no more than thirty of our best, who would be given the ability to morph. It contained Navy SEALS, British SAS, Canadian JTF2's, Israeli Mossad, South African Recces, and the special forces of a half-dozen other countries.

There were restrictions of course. None would travel off-planet, none would be given Andalite morphs, none would engage in any interstellar combat of an offensive nature barring Andalite approval, and so on and so forth, etc. etc. Just because the Andalites trusted us didn't mean they _trusted_ us. Still, it was a step forward. They were the D.O.M.E., Department of Morph-Capable Engagements. Or Rainbow Six as Marco preferred to call them. Jake was consulted sometimes but Marco was too busy with the life of the rich-and-famous, I was no longer morph capable, and Cassie didn't like fighting even when necessary let alone when not, so that left Rachel as the primary instructor in combat with Earth and Hork-Bajir morphs.

And she _loved_ it. All the thrills of a fight, none of the dangers of the war. Well, basically none. Full-on combat carried it's own inherent risks.

I was happy for her, really I was, even though I worried occasionally, I didn't let it show. Being such a specialized unit, made up of the best of the best, and made up of forces capable of morphing away damage, they didn't hold back. The only attacks not permitted were ones that were guaranteed fatal. I'd joined along, to witness some of her training, and as I said, they did _not_ hold back. The sparring I had watched routinely resulted in broken bones, severe gouges, ruptured organs; you name it. After all, with the ability to heal all wounds within minutes, severe damage wasn't much of a concern. They had a half-dozen veterinarians and doctors on-site at all times just in case but these were troops who had worked themselves into peak condition even before their newfound morphing capabilities. They didn't shy away from a little pain. 'Light-heavy' as she put it would've most likely meant she'd be fighting as a grizzly today.

Given the specialty of the morphs available they'd divided them into various classes. There was the light, which would've included my own hawk and all other aerial forms (minus Golden eagle which actually stood a chance against larger forms), various forms of snake, and smaller poisonous or otherwise dangerous animals in general; medium, which would've been hyena, cheetah, the Golden eagle, and other mid-size predators; light-heavy, which included such morphs as Hork-Bajir, Cassie's Cape buffalo, Jake's tiger or Rachel's own grizzly; and heavy, which would've been ones such as elephant, rhino, or as one JTF2 had tested, hippo. I had found that a weird choice when I first heard of it, then I read up on it; hippos were considered one of the Big Five: the deadliest animals in Africa. And it just so happened he was good with it. Very good. Rachel had a score of seventy-six wins, thirteen ties, and one loss against her students as a result of his hippo almost severing her elephant's rear left leg. Chubby or not, teeth two feet long make an impact.

"Ah, well, do try to give them a chance."

"They'll get a chance when they earn it," she said, with a wolfish grin on her face, "that being said I gotta get ready and go. Thanks for the steak love."

She gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Anytime."

**Chapter 26**  
**Rachel**

I made my way through the three different checkpoints required before I made it to the D.O.M.E. headquarters. There wasn't much chance of anyone getting through but given the specialties of our unit, the troops regularly decided to test the defences, a sort of spy/war-game situation. We had been given Gleet Bio-Filters redesigned to stun instead of kill so it was a rare occurrence anyone succeeded, but these were tactically trained troops after all. Two had managed to succeed in the six months we'd been up and running. Santorelli and Jeanne. My two most promising students. Which is saying something given how good they all were.

"Alright Santorelli," I said, stepping out of my car as he held the door open for me, "let's get this started shall we?"

We made our way into the hangar where we had set-up 'the ring' a large circle maybe a hundred paces in diameter. We'd alternate between the full open space to simulate field combat, and shrinking it down to no more than a dozen paces for close-quarters training. Today we'd be using about thirty paces. Mid-range. Enough to make sure we didn't sit idle but not enough to let us just run in circles. Perfect for light-heavy.

"Alright," I said, walking into the centre of the ring, with all thirty troops gathered in a semi-circle to my front, "who's feeling lucky today?"

I let my gaze sweep across the crowd and followed their look as they all looked at one person. I smiled as a South African Recce began to grow a thick mane.

"And here. We. Go."

It was just a bit before three. I had gone six and oh with my students though two were borderline ties, saved only by a last-minute move of desperation. They weren't always the smartest moves but I preferred to work in absolutes. I preferred to either win or lose. And win was the preference obviously. Ties are for people scared of risks. We usually tried for an average of one fight every hour to hour and a half on fight days. Spy days we worked in teams. They had their own thrilling moments admittedly, but overall they weren't my favourite.

I stood there waiting for the next challenger to make themselves known. I didn't enforce any order as to who fought and when. They were all professional and eager enough that they had their own rotation set-up. I winced slightly as I saw who stepped out from the crowd to my left. Fitzgerald. The one JTF2 who had beat me as a hippo. What business does a Canadian have with a hippo morph? Well, at least it was light-heavy today. I didn't know what he'd have that could beat me but I was curi-

"Ah, sorry bud," I heard a familiar voice ring out, "But you're gonna have to sit this one out. I'm on the job today."

I turned to my right and watched with a grin as Tobias stepped out between the soldiers with Marco at his side.

"Marco? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I figured seeing as I don't live far, and we were all heading to the same place anyway, maybe you guys would like to join me on a private jet. We are due there in two days after all. You really want to spend your whole evening on some military craft, take an hours long flight in miserable conditions, just to show up tired and barely on time? Besides, I could use some non-supermodel company every now and then."

"Private jet? You're rich but you're not 'own a private jet' rich."

"No, but I'm 'able to rent a private jet' rich."

"Ah. Well alright then. You sure about this Marco? I 'm already taller than you without a morph."

"Ooohhh, through the heart Xena." He grinned. "I just thought your boys - and girls - here might like to see a real fight." He winked. "Besides, don't mind Bird-boy here. We both know we've wanted this for years."

"Easy, Marco," Tobias growled.

Marco flashed a quick smirk at Tobias then turned to the men and women around us with his arms spread wide. "Well, ladies and gentlemen? Who'd like to see a proper show, eh?"

He bowed to the chorus of claps and hollers that followed. He began to take of his jeans and t-shirt and hand them to Tobias, revealing his morphing outfit underneath. The troops around crowded in slightly closer and began a chorus of 'ohohoh's, excited at the prospect of seeing an original Animorph-on-Animorph showdown.

"Any reason you're helping him fight your wife?" I questioned.

Tobias smiled as he accepted Marco's outer clothes.

"He has a point about the private flight. Besides, he gave me three to one odds. I have a hundred on you." He winked. "Make me proud."

I felt my nails grow long and stiff as I began to grow upwards.

"So now I'm reduced to fighting Donkey Kong as a sideshow? I do have an actual job to do here you know."

"Not exactly the Kong I had in mind Xena," Marco said as black fur began to erupt from his skin. He tried to continue but his mouth turned into a rubbery muzzle. {Let's see how Winnie fairs against the King.}

We completed our morphs as the ring of troops around us widened.

{When was the last time you even morphed gorilla for something that wasn't a stunt Marco? I use grizzly every other day.}

{It's like riding a bike Xena. Some things you just don't forget.} He rapped his fists off his chest in a perfect King Kong parody and gave a bellow as I roared my own challenge and charged. We collided with the sort of force that would have killed any human standing and began to circle. We both had advantages and disadvantages. We were, more or less equally strong, he had the dexterity, I had the claws. I swung a paw at his chest as he swung a fist at my front leg. I left claw marks across his torso and dropped on my face almost simultaneously.

{Damn it!}

{Damn it!}

{You're an angry woman Xena.}

{Hey, you do movies right? Have they contacted you for anything Hobbit-related yet?}

We both darted in and out. Taking shots back and forth. They did damage certainly, by virtue of our sheer power, but not enough to incapacitate either of us, just enough that we both noticed. He swung but I anticipated and blocked, turned the block into a quick swipe but did nothing more than graze his arm as he skipped away. I switched direction and circled back.

{Scared, Curious George?}

{Not on your life, Smokey.}

I half-lunged forward with my paw in the air as Marco stepped in with a cinder block fist raised above his head.

WHAM!

WHAM!

And everything went black.

**Chapter 27**  
**Tobias:**

I watched, maybe ten percent concerned, ninety percent amused as Marco and Rachel circled each other. I wasn't too worried. After all, we'd fought together for three years and more and there were a dozen medics of all stripes present. I watched as they circled each other for a few minutes, Colliding like freight trains before backing up and taking the occasional jab until

Wham!

Wham!

Simultaneous blows to the head as they both struck, and they both dropped. I heard some snorting laughter from the soldiers surrounding me. I probably would've been laughing too had it been anybody but Rachel. A grizzly and a gorilla knocking each other out stone cold at the same time.

I tensed and watched, slightly more concerned as a team of veterinarians and medics ran to both my fallen comrades.

"Uh, guys?"

"No worries, Mr. Shamtul," one medic leaning over Rachel reassured me, "we've seen much worse than this." He gave her a pat on one enormous shoulder. "She's good." He turned to his partner, "breathing?"

"Breathing," a medic hovering over Marco replied. "We give'em five then we go adrenaline."

I stood there uneasy for the next few minutes waiting for them to wake up. I knew this was part of Rachel's job but it was moments like this that reminded me why I only sat in on the rare occasion. She awoke three minutes later.

{Wha- what the hell?} She rolled over to see Marco beginning to shift and shake himself awake. The medics backed off as she struggled to her feet and began to demorph. {Oh come on! A tie?! This is bullsh-}

"Rach? Marco? Come on guys. Get on up and demorph. We have a flight to catch."

{Ugh, the flight takes off when we decide to catch it Bird-boy,} Marco groaned as he began to demorph. (That's the whole point of a pri-} His mouth reformed, "-vate jet. What's the rush? Oh and for the record - take that Xena!"

"It was a tie Marco," Rachel groused. "You didn't win."

"Yeah but still, you do this every day, I use it in the occasional commercial. I still got it!"

"Lucky shot."

"Lucky my-"

"Uh, guys" I interjected, "I get the point of a private jet, but it's still an eleven hour flight to the Hague. When was the last time you were in the Netherlands Marco? You wouldn't mind some tourist time?"

"It's the Netherlands. When was the last time anyone was there aside from stoned college kids? You just wanna buy your woman some Dutch lingerie."

He ducked as a now human Rachel swept an open hand at the side of his head.

I grinned. "You say that like it's an insult."

**Chapter 28**

We sat through the flight over to the Hague. There wasn't really much catching up to do truth be told. Rachel and I were married so there was nothing new there. And we both kept up to date with Marco on a fairly regular basis. Besides, my papers and lectures weren't exactly 'oh-my-God' material, Marco had just test-driven Rachel's day-to-day work, and most of Marco's life could be read in the paper or seen on T.V. It was mostly pointless small talk, some reminiscing of the good times and enjoying our meals.

Turns out private jets aren't all about shorter wait times and better flying than regular airlines, the food was way better too. I was enjoying some duck at the moment. I'd caught a couple as a hawk so it wasn't that weird for me. For the record, they taste way better with human tastebuds.

"So Marco," Rachel managed, around a mouthful of club sandwich, "how's our movie going?"

"_Our_ movie?"

"The movie about us. Don't be difficult."

"Going well, they just finalized the casting. Filming starts next month." He frowned and looked pensive for a moment. "They probably could've done a bit more 'thinning of the herd' for the cast though."

"We didn't get good actors?" I inquired.

"What? No, no, the actors are fine, it's just..." he hesitated.

"Yeeeessss?" Rachel butted in slowly.

"Well the guy portraying me is pretty short-"

"You are short."

"-And the guys for Tobias and Jake are pretty tall-"

"They are tall."

"-but it's freaking Hollywood! Since when are movies ever that accurate?! They couldn't have embellished a bit? Really? Would it have taken away that much of the 'realism'?"

Rachel and I shared a quick glance before we both broke out giggling with a hand over our mouths.

"Oh screw you guys, I knew I should've just brought supermodels."

"Well come on Marco," Rachel laughed, "you're getting a Hollywood blockbuster made about you and that's your big concern? You're an actor, why didn't you just play yourself?"

"The producers thought it'd be weird if I was the only one portraying myself," he stopped and grinned slyly, "besides; he's taller than me."

And we all laughed.

**Chapter 29**  
**Rachel**

It was nearing the end of our eleven hour flight when I woke up from my nap. In a bed. I really needed to invest in the whole 'private jet' thing. These things were awesome.

I checked the clock. An hour till we landed. I rolled over and saw Tobias next to me breathing shallowly. I shook him and he opened one eye, saw me, then closed it again.

{Yes?}

"We land in an hour."

{So you're waking me now because...?}

"Because if you sleep too long you're going to be all full of energy tonight and I don't need you bugging me when I'm trying to sleep."

He smiled, eyes still closed, {I thought you liked it when I was energetic?}

I slapped him on the arm, "Careful."

{Five more minutes.}

I sat up, leaned over, and put all my weight into rolling him off the bed where he landed with a thud.

I heard him groan from just out of view. {Uncalled for, Rach.}

I shrugged even though he couldn't see me. "Got the job done."

We both got up, got dressed, and made our way back into the body of the plane.

"Well, well, well," Marco smirked, "the lovebirds finally awake."

I seated myself on a leather couch as Tobias lowered himself down beside me. "Please Marco, how long have you been up? Long enough to start in on a baked potato?"

"Rachel please, I already finished my teriyaki beef."

"Teriyaki beef?" Tobias echoed. "Marco, you're not becoming cultured are you?"

"Hey, I dated a Japanese girl for a little while. What can I say? The Japanese know their beef. Ever tried Kobe?"

I smirked. "I thought he played basketball."

Tobias caught my mood and joined in. "Yeah he does. I could never take him in one-on-one."

"Not a basketball fan?"

"I lack coordination."

"Ah."

"Ya know, I heard his middle name was Bean?"

"Weird."

"Very."

"What about-"

Marco set down his knife and fork and held up his hands. "Alright, alright, Mr. and Mrs. Smartass. Enough. We land in forty. Jake and Cassie are supposed to meet us there."

"Right, remind me again why they didn't take you up on the 'private jet' thing? Cause personally, I'm loving this."

Marco shrugged. "I checked with them both and both said no. They each had their own plans. You guys talked to them anytime recently?"

Tobias shook his head. "Cassie, maybe two months ago, Jake probably the same."

"Maybe a month ago each for me," I explained. "Last I heard Cassie's job was going well, but she and Ronnie split, she's seeing some new guy. Everything else is her usual nature stuff. War's over, but she's still saving the world. You?"

"Well, Cassie I haven't heard from in a bit but Jake's doing better."

Tobias and I both perked up at the news. I know Tobias had resented Jake for a while for what had gone down in our final hurrah, but things between them had been okay and improving. Besides, I didn't blame Jake for what had happened and moreover he was my cousin. I hated to see him moping and I knew that if I was happy, Tobias was happy.

"Really?"

"Yep. I guess he finally realized that there was no real chance of saving Tom," he finished his potato, "and better free or dead right?" He took a swig of his orange juice. "His work's going well, his parents are doing well, _plus_ he's _finally_ seeing someone again. I didn't get a name out of him but she's the first since Cassie so it's a step in the right direction."

**Chapter 30**

We touched down ten minutes ahead of schedule after the flight crew checked with the tower for permission. We got off the plane, small amounts of luggage in tow. The beauty of having a lot of money and no real need to spend much was it always gave us an opportunity to travel light; we could just buy what we needed when we got there. Tobias had agreed not to force me to bring only a few change of clothes so long as I agreed to force most of the power-shopping I planned on squeezing in, on Cassie and not him.

Marco blinked as we got off the plane. "What the hell?! I'm ready for bedtime, why is it still bright? Damn timezones. What is the exact difference again?"

"Well, we left at five," Tobias said, "Eleven hour flight, nine hour time difference. It's only seven p.m. here."

"So I'm probably not catching any z's for a little bit then."

I grinned. "Come on Marco, if you need nappy time we can go ahead and check in early. Where are you staying by the way? They offered us free room and board on-site, you take it?"

"No ma'am."

"Ma'am?"

"Quiet. Anyway, no, I got a suite at the local Mariott. You guys?"

"Local Mariott," I said through gritted teeth. _Crap_. We had decided to make this as much of a vacation as we could and decided against government facilities. Now we were staying at the same hotel as Marco? We had kept it quiet, I doubt if he would've managed the same. "We thought you would've relished a chance to get away from the media." No way he believed that.

"Well that wasn't very well thought out."

I sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Where are Cassie and Jake supposed to meet us?"

"Airport food court."

"Lead the way Frodo."

We made our way through the airport. There was a difference between private jet and private airport. We wandered through, Tobias and I hands entwined, Marco alternating between looking exasperated and yawning until we found the food court. Alright, now to seek out two friends we'd known for years. Shouldn't be a problem right? Yeah right. There's a reason 'Where's Waldo' isn't easy. Black girl, black hair, white guy, brown hair, everything blended together. We wandered around for about ten minutes before I felt Tobias nudge me from my left.

{No way.}

"What?"

{Well, if what I'm seeing is right, that's interesting.}

He pointed. I looked over at a restaurant called De Hems. Saw a tall man sitting next to a short woman. Saw him wrap an arm around her waist. Marco stopped and looked back at Tobias and I. Followed the direction of our gaze.

"Haha!," he crowed. "_No way_!"

He sprinted ahead of us and we jogged to try and keep pace.

"So we fly eleven hours," he said loudly, "somehow magically lose only two-"

I saw Jake's arm drop from Cassie's waist like it had just discovered gravity. He turned as red as I've ever seen him and somehow, Cassie seemed to as well.

"It's timezones, not magic Marco."

"-and we find this?!" He continued, ignoring us. "_Awesome_."

"Oh, uh, hey guys," Jake stuttered out haltingly, "You're early."

"And oh how sweet it is!"

I smiled a sweetly sick smile at Cassie. I elbowed Tobias.

{I think Rachel would like you to know, Cassie, that this will be discussed at length later,} he said privately.

She grimaced.

I looked up and he glanced over. I inclined my head sharply.

{Also, there may be repercussions for not divulging this...situation...whatever this 'situation' may be. I would assume most likely they would include shopping.}

"Excellent idea!" I blurted out suddenly.

Marco and Jake exchanged looks and gave Tobias a glance. He shrugged.

"Shopping!" I continued, trying to both get the boys attention off Tobias and provide an excuse for me to get Cassie alone. "What would you boys say to some shopping?" I turned towards the Tobias, Jake, and Marco with a fake-hopeful look on my face.

"You rolled me onto the floor earlier," Tobias said in a voice that was jokingly stern, "so no."

"What's the legal drinking age in the Netherlands?" Marco inquired.

Jake pointed at his drink, something that swirled with more colours than any drink had a right to have. "Eighteen."

"Sex on the Beach?"

"Singapore Sling."

"Ah, fancy," Marco turned to me, "Either way, I'm out Xena. Enjoy your Dutch-inspired fashion hunting. I'm gonna catch up Jake and the Red Baron here."

"Actually I was think-" Cassie began, and stopped midsentence as I grabbed her by the arm.

"I asked the boys a question, I wasn't giving you a choice."

She stumbled to her feet in my grasp. "Ah, how foolish of me."

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So there you go! Please R&R. This part actually kind of got away on me and what had been planned as one section will be getting broken up between this and the next one. I have this sinking feeling that if I want to conclude this whole idea in a satisfactory manner I'm going to end up with a full novel but ah well, I'm enjoying it thus far. Thanks for all the support so far!

*An actual paper I found while searching for title ideas. Seemed to fit the mood. Not taking credit for it.  
Can be found here: fsuornithology. wordpress. c o m 2011/12/15/the-red-tailed-hawk-a-mouses-worst-nightmare/  
(spaced weird because I can't save a link)


	6. Hello, Tobias - Chapters 31 - 35

**So, it occurs to me I need to add some action or at the very least a cliffhanger or I'm going to end up going all 90210 on this. I want them to have a happy life but this is the Animorphs after all, something's gotta go down. So, I'm hoping to take this in a good direction. Feel free to R&R. And, just like every other chapter, I don't own the Animorphs, I just couldn't stand Rachel dy...nope. Not saying it.**

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**Chapter 31**  
**Rachel**

{We'll meet back at the hotel?}

I almost stumbled. Tobias' thoughtspeech voice took me by surprise, focused as I was on determining the best way to pry every last bit of info I could out of Cassie.

I looked back over my shoulder and gave a quick nod as he sat down at a circular table with Marco and Jake. He and Jake both took one last glance at our retreating figures and I saw Marco smile at the waitress who came over. Typical boys. I turned back to Cassie and quickened my pace, practically dragging her along.

"So when you said that you and Ronnie had split and that you were seeing someone new what you actually meant was you were seeing your old boyfriend who happened to be our leader who happens to be my cousin?!" I whispered quickly.

That may have come out a tad more rushed than I had planned. But still, it had taken all the willpower I could muster to wait until we were out of earshot of the boys before asking.

"Rachel, I understand your mood at the moment, really, I do, but you're cutting off the bloodflow to my arm."

I released my hold on her.

"Jeez, you're like Barbie with kung-fu grip," she griped, rubbing just above her elbow.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. It's just - what?! Whenwhere_how_?!" I wasn't exactly being reasonable but I was still coherent and that's all I really cared about at the moment.

"Well, in order - we're trying it again, about six weeks now, here, at the moment anyway, and I called him." She looked a little guilty at that last part.

"Hold up; you called him? When did you and Ronnie split?"

"Um, about six weeks ago?" She said with her head down, avoiding my gaze.

"No way! You cheated?!"

"What?! No! I wouldn't cheat." She said insistently. "I had just called Jake, same as anyone, and figured I'd check up on how things were going. Anyway, we got to talking, and reminiscing and whatnot and decided it might be nice to get together, maybe catch up over dinner. We made plans for a Friday and then on Wednesday _before_ seeing Jake, I...broke up with Ronnie."

"You broke up with Ronnie over innocent dinner plans with an old boyfriend? You sure you didn't have 'plans' beyond dinner?" I asked. My tone must have carried a hint of accusation in it because Cassie shot me a look that was somewhere between hurt and defiant.

"Yes, Rachel, I'm sure. Ronnie and I had been drifting apart for the last little while anyway. I loved him, I just wasn't _in_ love with him. I don't know why. He's smart, he's funny, he's sweet, it's just he's...I don't know, he's just-"

"Not Jake." I finished for her.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, that's the best way to put it I guess."

We hopped on one of the trams that led from the airport into the downtown part of the Hague.

"So, ready to move in yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, Rachel, jeez. It's been six weeks."

I rolled my eyes right back. "Yeah and three years."

"We weren't exactly dating at the beginning you know." She pointed out.

"Yeah because you were both big wusses. You would have been if either of you had the guts to act on your feelings and not just have them." I pointed out right back. "Even Tobias and I got closer faster. And he was living as a bird."

"Yeah exactly," she said with a hint of 'duh' in her voice, "my mom probably would've found it a tad strange if Jake came over to my room as often as Tobias did to yours."

I smiled at the thought. "Alright, well, I'm not saying we didn't have certain advantages." Thinking back on all those nights that-

"Where exactly are we going?" Cassie inquired, shaking me out of my reverie. "I thought you wanted to go shopping?"

"Ostensibly, yes. But that was when I thought I was just going to ask about your new boyfriend - 'Is he nice?' 'Cool', 'What's he do?' 'Cool', 'Where'd you guys meet?' 'Cool'-"

"'Cool' was going to be your response to every answer I gave?"

"-but now I don't need those questions so we're not going shopping. We're going to my hotel room..." I trailed off, "for that matter, where are you staying?"

"We're at the local Marriott. Marco said he was staying there and we figured we'd make this as vacation-like as a war-crime inquiry can get."

"'We'?" I inquired innocently.

"Rachel." She warned.

I grinned. "Anyway, great, so are we. So, to hell with shopping-."

Cassie's face lit up.

"-for now. It's Monday night, trial starts Wednesday. Do the math."

She frowned.

"But for now, we go back to the hotel, we get more room service than we need, a bottle or two of wine and we dish until we fall asleep or the boys come back. Whatever comes first."

"Well," she sighed, "I've experienced worse repercussions."

I grinned at that, and hailed a cab.

**Chapter 32**  
**Tobias**

We all sat down at the table. Jake and I looked over as Rachel and Cassie walked out. Well, as Rachel marched out, more-or-less dragging Cassie behind her.

{We'll meet back at the hotel?} I confirmed with Rachel, watching as she almost tripped over her own feet. No doubt eager to get Cassie alone and thoroughly questioned. She nodded vigorously.

Glanced over and watched Marco flash a winning smile at the waitress approaching us.

"Hi there."

"Hello. May I take your orders?"

Jake looked down at his now empty glass. "Um, another, I guess?"

Marco tsked. "Please, Jake, you travel halfway round the world to order the same drink twice in a row? Amateur."

"Please, Marco, you're cultured in the ways of the world traveler now?"

"He is," I interjected. "Had a Japanese girlfriend and everything."

"Exotic. Fine, I'll have a Tom Collins."

"That's better," Marco said none-too-helpfully, "I'll have an Old-Fashioned."

"Bloody Mary please," I added.

Marco gave me a look. "Why does that not surprise me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Save it Marco, I get the point. Something-something-bloody-something-bird joke."

"You know me too well."

"And you know I've been human full-time for the last year right? Besides, last I checked it's Jake in the hotseat at the moment."

Jake shot me a dirty look as Marco's face split in an enormous grin and he turned with exaggerated ceremony towards Jake.

"Yes, indeed I believe you happen to be right about that. So Fearless Leader," Marco began casually, taking a sip from his drink as the waitress passed them around. "A little something you want to tell us?"

"Nothing you haven't found out about in the last ten minutes."

I spoke even as Marco started shaking his head, "Sorry Jake, but you're not going to get off that easy."

He gave an explosive sigh. "Fine, well, about six weeks ago I had just gotten home from work, was making a sandwich, flipping through the news, regular after work stuff, and the phone rang. It was Cassie. She was just calling to see how things were going, and so on, and we got to chatting. Reminiscing, you know, usual stuff. Anyway we ended up making plans to get together, maybe catch up over dinner-"

"I thought she was dating some Ronnie guy?" I inquired.

Marco jumped in, "Come on Toucan Sam-"

"Seriously?"

"-it was just dinner with an old friend. You can be dating someone and go out to dinner with an old friend." He shrugged his shoulders and held his hands palms up in a 'what-can-you-do' gesture. "I mean, obviously it ended up as one hell of a dinner-"

Jake held up his hands with his eyes closed and an exasperated look on his face.

{Missed this?}

Marco nodded.

"I asked her about that. How things were going and what not. Just an old friend being curious-"

Marco snorted and Jake glared at him.

"_Anyway_, she said they'd broken up recently. They'd been drifting apart for a while and...anyway we went out to dinner, had a nice evening, and all, and...you know..." he trailed off as his cheeks began to redden.

"No, we don't," I pointed out.

"It went well."

"How well?" Marco asked, visibly more intrigued.

"Quite," Jake said in a flat 'this is all you're getting from me' tone.

"Yes!" Marco gushed. "Way to go bud. Maybe a little time apart will have smartened the pair of you up."

"Excuse me?"

{Ouch, Marco.}

"Hey, no, no, it's harsh truth time." He said seriously. "This is your best friend from the time before we can remember being friends talking here. Cassie didn't break up with Ronnie cause they were drifting. Well, maybe that was the specific cause but the general reason is easy enough to guess: he wasn't you. And you," he said, pointing an accusing finger, "how many girls have you even tried to date in the last two years?"

Jake shrugged but his face said that he probably hadn't even thought of trying.

"Exactly. The closest I've ever seen you come to even kissing another girl was that supermodel you basically had to pry off you at my last premiere. Cause you love Cassie, and she loves you. I saw the way you two looked at each other at Xena and Bird-boy's wedding."

Jake reddened and took a sip of his drink.

"Hey, there's no shame in it bud," Marco continued seriously, "I've lived this remember? My dad lost my mom and I thought for sure it would destroy him. Then he found Nora. And even though she made him happy, there was no changing it. Once my mom was free he never looked back. They're together still. Some things are just fated man."

Jake and I both looked over at him as he finished off his drink and handed his glass over to the waitress for a refill. "Surprise me," he said to her. He looked up and met our stares.

"What? The funny man can't have a serious side?"

"No," Jake responded sincerely before finishing his own glass and passing it to the waitress. "It's just, you've been a model-to-model kind of guy for the last little bit. Just kind of a strange direction to come from is all."

Marco shrugged. "You guys both landed down home girls. The sort we grew up with." He thought for a second, "Well, the ones we did grow up with. These model types, not my style. In the long-run I mean. Pretty on the arm, yes, but not exactly girlfriend material for the most-part. Blame a guy for wanting a down-to-Earth gal?" They both accepted new drinks.

"Not in the least," I said raising my glass.

"Me neither," Jake added, raising his as well. "To old friends, in new times."

Marco smiled and raised his glass. "To Jake. Never becoming a poet."

We clinked glasses, and laughed.

**Chapter 33**

Several hours later, we stumbled, all sort of clinging to one another, out of the airport restaurant and headed in the direction of the tram. We hopped on and got off at the downtown station.

"Maybe one less round would've sufficed," I said unnecessarily.

"One less round would've been a good idea two rounds ago." Marco stated matter-of-factly. And slightly slurred. "Alright," he said energetically, clapping his hands together and shaking his head to clear it, "Where's this hotel again?"

Jake stopped and shook his head too. "Uh, I think something like eight blocks that way." He pointed.

"No way I'm walking eight blocks," Marco said firmly. "Let's just call a cab."

I gave him a look. "Good idea, got your phone on you?"

"Yep." He said grinning triumphantly and holding up his cell.

"Got the number of a Dutch cab company?"

His grin faded. "Huh. Didn't really think that through did we." He shrugged. "Alright, well, I know it'll probably kill my buzz which'll be a shame but let's just fly on over and we can order a bott-"

Jake elbowed him in the ribs as I raised an eyebrow.

"Ow, man! What the he-," Marco caught himself and I could see him visibly flinch. He turned towards me slowly. "Ah. Crap. Sorry bud, I didn't mean to...my bad."

I shrugged. "Eh, don't sweat it. I made my peace with it a while ago. Wouldn't have done it if I hadn't. Let's just start walking, I'm sure we'll pass a cab on the way."

We set off down the street towards the hotel, walking past buildings illuminated by the streetlights. A curious mix of modern buildings and ones from another time. It was quite nice really. I had never really travelled before. Outside of some of the stranger missions we'd been on anyway. I mean sure, I've been three miles down in the ocean, I've been in space and on other planets, but travelling recreationally was a relatively new experience. It was cool seeing this sort of thing. Really, compared to Europe, the States were practically brand new. The Netherlands had buildings older than the country I grew up in. It was-

"Can't lie Tobias," Marco interrupted my thoughts, "Always thought you'd be our feathered friend."

"You know I am human by birth," I pointed out. I thought for a second. "Or, well, like some kind of Human-Andalite...hybrid. But human in form."

"Yeah," he nodded in agreement. "But keep in mind, we've only really been friends for the last five, six years. Four of those you were a bird. So this," he said, indicating me and waving his hands up and down, "is weird."

I shrugged. "Had to do it sometime. Either that or die of old age before any of you guys even turned twenty-five. Besides, didn't feel right making Rachel marry a bird."

"Wings for a woman." He winked. "Bold move."

We crossed the intersection two blocks into our trek. We weren't the only ones out on the street despite the time but it was still strange when I felt rather than saw a presence to my left and turned in time to see a shadow melt back into the darkness. What? Flying may have been the best part of my hawk lifestyle but I missed the senses almost as much. I squinted but couldn't see anything. Whatever or whoever was there must've wandered off. I didn't like that but I shrugged it off. Late at night in a foreign country, a little tipsy. Just nerves was all. I looked back and thought I saw movement again. What was-

"No offence meant of course," Marco said with a hesitant grin on his face. Probably a little concerned that I hadn't bothered to answer.

I turned and gave him an easy smile. "No offence taken in the least." I gave a sly grin. "Besides, Rachel knows what it meant to me. She's seen fit to keeping me suitably compensated."

Marco's face lit up.

Jake held up his hands. "Nope, do not need to hear that sort of thing about my cousin."

Marco glared at him. "Well I do. This is guy talk. Don't be selfish Jake, cross the street or something." He turned back to me. "Go on."

"Sorry Marco. That's all you're getting. Never been a kiss-and-tell kind of guy."

Marco swung out in front of me and started walking backwards. Something he seemed to be having a bit of trouble with in his mildly inebriated state. Not that he let it stop him. "Oh no, absolutely not, do not do this to me. Don't be a tease. You know I have a mind for details, feel free to delve into them. Hell, feel obligated. Does she do the things she does when I picture it?"

Jake started humming to himself. Loudly.

"How would I know what you pic- Wait. You have sex dreams about my wife?"

"Don't flatter yourself, I was having dreams about her _long_ before she was your wife."

"Taxi!" Jake called out, sounding relieved as we saw a red and white car coming down the street.

"What? Jake, no! It's only another five blocks. We can walk."

"Wouldn't there be a Dutch word for 'taxi'?" I pointed out.

"Focus, Tobias. Focus. Rachel, dirty, details. Go." Marco said determinedly.

"Taxi!," Jake repeated a little more forcefully, stepping into the street and waving his arms. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw it signal and begin to slow.

Marco glared at us both. "Alright Feathers, you're off the hook for now. But keep in mind, this is an intermission, not a conclusion."

Jake hopped in the front passenger seat as I opened the rear door and waved Marco in before me.

"Well if you're so interested in Rachel, which for the record, _you shouldn't be_, why not ask her yourself?" I inquired, following Marco in and shutting the door behind me.

He shifted uncomfortably. "I feel like my acting career would suffer if I no longer had a face."

**Chapter 34**  
**Rachel**

"So any thoughts on kids yet?"

I coughed and spluttered as I choked on my mouthful of wine.

"Sorry," Cassie continued apologetically, "Bad timing on my part."

"You think?" I asked sternly, wiping my mouth and reaching over to grab some kleenex so I could dab at the few drops that got on my shirt. Thank God we had gone with white. "And no, no kids talk. Jeez Cassie, we're nineteen. Try me again at early to mid-twenties at best."

"Well," she said before taking a sip of her wine, "It's the next logical step is all. You guys own a house, got married, no financial concerns." She shrugged. "Sounds like a good lead up to kids. I know you want some, and Tobias seems like the kind of guy that would."

"Yes I do, and yes he does - _eventually_. You know my job requires multiple morphs a day right? I'd have to give that up. And then what? I either try and find something that doesn't require morphing, which may I remind you, I have no formal training for, or I sit around all day, and that would get dangerous, fast."

She thought about it for a minute. "You could help me out with the Hork-Bajir in Yellowstone."

"Again, without morphing, are you telling me you have something to do besides paperwork?"

She tossed some popcorn at me. "Alright, fine," she laughed, "What about your fashion stuff? You do some occasionally now anyway, could do it full-time for a while."

I contemplated that. She did have a point. I had been falling behind on that, maybe some full-time work on it would be- I stopped myself.

"No, Cassie, jeez, why am we even having this talk? Again, try me in a few years."

{Marco.}

I grinned as Cassie looked around the room.

"Uh, Polo?" she said hesitantly.

I got up and quick-walked over to the door. Opened it to see the boys making their way down the hall, somewhat unevenly. I gave a wide smile as they caught sight of me.

"Is short."

"Haha." Marco said seriously though he was smirking as he did. "And as part of your deluxe travel package 'Ha'. I believe 'Polo' is the answer you were searching for."

"Nah, I'm fine with mine."

I held the door open as the guys filed through in an untidy line. Tobias came last and gave me a quick kiss as he went past. He winked.

{We can swap notes later.}

I nodded and went back to my place on the couch. Jake went and sat on the floor with his back against the couch, just below where Cassie sat, leaning against the armrest with her legs up. Tobias went and sat on the floor across from me with his back against the bed.

"Well, well, well," Marco said, as he sauntered over to counter. "One down, one to go." He indicated an empty bottle of wine sitting next to an unopened one. "May I?"

I held up my glass. "So long as you're not above refill-duty."

"Excellent. Lads?"

"Sure."

"Please."

I grabbed my bag of popcorn, picked a piece and bent my arm back to throw. "Open wide."

Tobias grinned, "Be warned, I'm pro at this." He opened his mouth as I let the popcorn fly. It sailed through the air; and struck him in the cheek.

"Damn it!" He said. Seemingly more angry than necessary. Everyone else looked over at him.

"Sorry," I offered, "I thought it was a good throw."

"What? No, not that." He sighed and held up his hand. I watched in amazement as a feather pattern began to etch itself onto his skin.

"Well. I guess that's nice at least."

**Chapter 35**  
**Tobias**

"May I?" Marco asked innocently.

Rachel held out her glass and gave it a little shake. "So long as you're not above refill-duty."

"Excellent. Lads?"

"Sure," I said.

"Please," Jake added.

"Open wide."

I looked over as Rachel cocked back her forearm to throw a piece of popcorn at me. I grinned. "Be warned, I'm pro at this."

She threw the popcorn and I watched as it sailed towards me. And stopped. As everything stopped. I looked over at Marco, pouring a stream of wine into a glass, except it wasn't pouring anymore. It was just there. Cassie and Jake were frozen, smiling at each other. Rachel, immobile with a grin on her face and her arm outstretched.

_Son-of-a-_

HELLO, TOBIAS.

_Damn it!_

I sighed. "Yes, Ellimist. What do you want?"

Amazing, how nonchalant I'd become towards a being that could make it so that I wasn't just gone, but had never been.

HAHAHAHA. His laughter filled the very air around me. NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO, TOBIAS.

He appeared before me in his old man guise, smiling.

I grunted. "This is the first time you've came to me when I've been legitimately happy with every aspect of my life. You'll forgive me if I'm a tad concerned as to what that means."

"You don't miss the flying?"

I grimaced. "Small price to pay in the long run. I don't want you to turn me into a bird again if that's what you're getting at."

"Hahahaha. No, but I must admit, I don't like you in this form."

"Well don't take it personal but I'm starting to not like you in any form." I was trying to be casual but the Ellimist didn't tend to appear without good cause. I was worried by the form comment. He wouldn't turn me back into a bird would he? He had to know I'd just morph back to human...unless he-

"No, I wouldn't."

"Fine, why are you here then? And why just me?"

He smiled. "I owe you a favour Tobias. After all, you did one for me."

I considered that for a moment. "And just what was that?"

He smiled wider and looked over at Rachel. "You saved my happy accident."

"Excuse me?"

"She was my happy accident. You were the son of Elfangor. Ax, his brother. Jake, the brother of a controller, Marco, the son of one. Cassie is a unique specimen, able to keep you grounded, as you already know. But Rachel? She was not in the original plan."

"So what are you going to do?"

"It is done."

I looked down at my hands, my feet. Still all me, which was nice. "I can morph again?"

"In a manner of speaking," he said casually. "It was three forms that made you what you are today. You can take any of those three. But you do not have your original powers."

"Great," I muttered. "So I can be myself, a hawk or an Andalite? Would it not just be easier to let me morph again?"

"It is part of the rules Tobias. Think of it like a carving. You may be altered, but not reset."

Well, it didn't make much sense to me, but what the Ellimist did never seemed to make much sense to anyone but him anyway. At least I would be able to fly again. I tried not to let on much but I did miss it.

"As I suspected."

"Stop that," I berated him. "Why now? Why not a year ago when I turned human? Or when I saved her in the first place?"

"Consider it a wedding gift."

"My wedding was three months ago."

He smiled again, but if anything, it seemed sad this time. "You did not need it before now."

I felt my blood turn cold at that. The only thing we needed our morphs for, the only reason we had them in the first place, was to fight. But the fight was over. We shouldn't need them. I wouldn't turn down the pleasure of flying, I just didn't want it to be a necessity.

"What? What do you mean I _didn't_ need it, past tense?! You mean I need it now?!" I was becoming a bit frantic.

"For what it's worth Tobias, I am sorry."

"_WHAT?! _Don't be sorry! Just tell me what's going on! Or better yet, make it not happen!"

"It already did not happen. You changed things. You allowed things to happen, that in another world, did not happen. It is part of the rules Tobias. You will be hurt, but with your friends by your side, you can prevail. And Tobias? Do not worry about the two hours."

He disappeared as a piece of popcorn struck my cheek.

"Damn it!" I raged.

"Sorry," Rachel said hesitantly, "I thought it was a good throw."

"What? No, not that." I sighed and concentrated as I held up my hand. Watched as a feather pattern began to tattoo across my skin.

"Well," I muttered as my friends all looked on with their jaws practically on the floor. "I guess that's nice at least."

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**Alrighty, couple of notes. Yes, I know in the description is says "No Ellimist" but that was intended to mean he neither saved, nor brought back Rachel. That was 100% Tobias. Moreover, if Tobias can morph from hawk then it's already implied the Ellimist exists in this universe. I plan on getting a little more action going with the next set of chapters. Trying to keep a good action/happy life balance going. Please R&R. I appreciate all the comments so far. That there is some damn fine motivation.**


	7. What to Say - Chapters 36 - 42

**So, I now understand what was meant when I read about how authors would say a story tends to take on a life of it's own. All I wanted was a quick thing where Rachel lived and here I sit 40+ chapters, 40,000+words later and still so much to go. Well, I'm trying to balance humour, action, and drama together. So I hope you're enjoying yourselves thus far. Same as usual, don't own 'em. Feel free to review. I'm loving 'em so far. Much appreciated!**

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**Chapter 36  
Tobias**

Everyone just stared. Rachel looked about ready to faint. Not a look I was familiar with. I reversed the change so that the feathers receded back into my skin. Focused again, watched as my hand began to sprout blue fur. I reversed that too. Tried polar bear, nothing. Hork-Bajir, nothing. Well, two sure beats the hell out of none. Especially when one has wings. I looked around into the awed faces of my friends. Lingered on Rachel's for a bit more than I should have. I couldn't tell her what I'd just heard. Certainly not yet anyway. I looked away quickly before she sensed something wrong. Well before she sensed any more wrong than why I could just suddenly morph again.

{Marco, you're spilling.}

"Ah, crap!" He reached for a cloth on the counter and began to wipe up the wine he had poured to overflowing in his shock.

"So," I said as breezily as I could manage, reaching up to scratch my head and appear as nonchalant as I could, "You guys probably have some questions."

Cassie just nodded with an awed look on her face.

"I could probably come up with a few," Jake said matter-of-factly.

Rachel stood up and walked over to crouch down beside me. She took my hand in hers and began to rub it and turn it over, as if she was trying to believe what she had just witnessed. She looked up at me, her blue eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and excitement.

"Tobias! That's incredible! How did you..." She trailed off as I saw a glimmer of realization cross her face. Her lips pressed together and her eyes hardened into granite chips. "Ellimist."

It wasn't a question.

"Ellimist," I confirmed with a sigh.

"Tobias, that's great!" Cassie said excitedly. Jake nodded in agreement, a little more cautious, I saw.

"So he was talking to you and we were all just frozen right now?"

I nodded.

Rachel gave me a quick look over then glanced over at Marco. Marco eyed me warily, his natural inclination for suspicion as strong as ever.

"Yeah, that's great bud," he said slowly, "But why exactly is he just up and giving you back your morphing powers?"

"Well, he's not. Not to that degree anyway. He said he was just giving me back the three forms that make me what I am. So I can go hawk or Andalite, or, you know," I waved a hand to indicate my body, "my current self, but can't acquire anything new." It was a true statement. It wasn't the full explanation but it was true none-the-less. "He said it was a wedding present."

"Our wedding was three months ago," Rachel pointed out.

She didn't miss that. Crap. I didn't need this to go where it was headed and it was headed south fast. I should have thought it through more, waited to try morphing until I was alone. We were having a good night, all together for the first time in a long time, I didn't need to burden my friends with what I'd just heard. I did my best to force a brighter smile.

"Yeah Rach, but this is the Ellimist. Three months ago, three years ago, three years in the future, it's all the same to him. I doubt he cares about being on time by our standards." I did my best to inject a bit of disdain into that last part. It wasn't that hard.

Rachel gave me a questioning look, like she wanted nothing more than to believe me but was having some trouble with it. I put on the best little scamp-like grin I could manage and looked at each one of my friends in turn as I leveraged myself up to sit on the bed.

"Come on guys, I know how our meetings with him usually go, but this is awesome, even if I had to sit through one of his 'explanations'. I can fly again." I concentrated so that feathers began to appear on my arm again before turning back, doing my best to reinforce the fact. "Two morphs are better than none right?"

_Buy it, buy it, buy it_.

"Marco, I thought you were supplying some wine. I think a cheers might be in order. For a change."

_Buy it, buy it, buy it_.

Either I managed to sound much more sincere than I'd even thought I could manage or else they really wanted to believe me, but it seemed to work. Cassie and Jake both grinned widely at me, Marco just gave a small grin and shrugged, and headed over with the wine, handing me and Jake a glass each before topping off Rachel's and Cassie's. As for Rachel, she was giving me a look that said there'd be more to follow on this, but she was smiling all the same. I knew she'd be happy to see me happy.

"You mean you're not going to up and drag me out flying?"

I smiled. "Haven't flown for the last year, one more night won't kill me. Hate to interrupt a good time."

Marco raised his glass and the rest of us followed his lead. "I'll tell you all here and now, there is no way I'm toasting the Ellimist," he paused for a second and looked around, "And I don't care if you hear that!" We all grinned. "So here's to the Red Baron, getting his wings back."

"Here, here," we all chorused, and took drinks. I drank a little more deeply than the others. Desperate for anything I could use to hide my fear.

**Chapter 37**  
**Rachel**

Bullshit. That's what it was, plain and simple. The Ellimist was like an intergalactic snake-oil salesman; he did nothing for free and you never really got what you wanted. He helped sometimes sure, but for his own purposes and in his own ways. No way he just gave Tobias back the power to morph, even if only hawk and Andalite, just as a 'wedding gift.' Tobias wasn't telling me something, and I knew I'd have to pry it out of him if I wanted to hear it.

He was hiding it to protect the rest of us, to protect me. I loved him dearly but that little tendency of his pissed me off. When he'd cheated to follow me into the depths as a whale. When he'd volunteered for a mission where he'd almost certainly be tortured if not killed outright. The way he hadn't wanted any of our help while trapped as a hawk. He stayed over at my house only on nights with the worst storms or blizzards, and even then only after I had asked him to. Sometimes only after I had told him he was and that was final. I don't know why he felt the need to refuse help, especially when his life had given him the most reason out of all of us to ask for it.

Whatever. If he wanted to keep it quiet from the others, I'd play along for now. Not that I felt the others were any more fooled. They just probably figured I'd get an answer later. And if I was being honest, I'd had enough wine that if I started in on a bad mood, it'd be a _bad_ mood. That aside, the current combination of wine and Tobias getting his wings back had left me a little more...bubbly, than usual. If he didn't want to ruin the night, and no one else did, then I certainly wouldn't. I'd have plenty of time to get an answer out of him tomorrow.

"You mean you're not going to up and drag me out flying?"

He smiled. "Haven't flown for the last year, one more night won't kill me. Hate to interrupt a good time."

Marco raised his glass and the rest of us followed his lead. "I'll tell you all here and now, there is no way I'm toasting the Ellimist," he looked around, "And I don't care if you hear that!"

_Amen to that,_ I thought.

"So here's to the Red Baron, getting his wings back."

"Here, here," we all chorused, and took drinks. I looked over as Tobias tipped his back a little further than the rest of us. I knew there was more to it than he was letting on. But it was still a nice evening, and Marco jumped on the chance to keep it going.

"Alrighty," Marco said happily, "So, wine, women, wings - shaping up to be a good trip."

"You're ignoring the tribunal on Wednesday." Cassie mentioned. "And probably however many other days it takes."

Marco frowned and pointed at her. "Yes, Cassie, I am. That's the point. Tonight and tomorrow are all us. Wednesday and who knows how many days after, is us, lawyers, judges, the _Visser_, and more, so don't ruin my funtime before absolutely necessary."

Jake yawned. "Plenty of time for funtime tomorrow Marco, I think after this one I'm going to call it a night."

"What?" Marco asked with mock indignation. He looked at his watch. "It's only...oh, hell. 1:30. Huh. Welp, time flies when you're having fun. Come on man, you got another half-hour in you. We're still young, what's a late night to us?"

"Not planning on 'growing up' in every sense of the term?" I asked sweetly. I was about ready to hit the hay myself. Nap on the jet or not, this timezone thing was messed up.

"Height joke Xena. Way to keep it fresh."

"Well, if the child's shoe fits..."

Cassie and Jake both giggled at that and I saw Tobias grin.

"Ouch, when did this turn into a pick on Marco moment? Just cause we got the two coupl-" He stopped and gave me a weird look. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He glanced over at Tobias and grinned.

"Hmmm, how about something old-fashioned. Simple, yet entertaining. How about a little...truth-or-dare?"

Cassie and I rolled our eyes practially in unison. "Too much time spent with all-bod, no-brain models in Hollywood, Marco?"

He shrugged. "Times like that have advantages, no doubt. But we're all friends here."

Tobias finished his wine and set the glass down. Looked at me and raised an eyebrow, looked back at Marco.

{I find myself very concerned by that look on his face.} So, Tobias sensed something weird too. I had a feeling 'make fun of Marco time' was about to have some consequence.

"Yeah," I pointed out, "We are all friends. Cassie and I have been best friends for years, those two are dating, and we're married," I stated, indicating Tobias and myself. "So I somehow think you're the only one who stands to gain some sort of twisted joy out of this."

Marco frowned in exaggerated disappointment and snapped his fingers. "Shucks. Seems like you caught me." He grinned mischeviously. "But I didn't think you'd just turn down a chance like that. Strange."

Oh yeah, this was a trap. But as to what purpose he had behind it, I had no idea. I looked over at Tobias and noticed that he was actively avoiding looking at me in favour of Marco and a thin line of sweat had started at his forehead.

I saw Jake give a panicked look and take a sip of his drink.

"And just why is that 'strange'?"

"Well, I thought that sort of thing would've been right up your alley," he shrugged, "Word on the street is, you are very capable of being a naughty girl." His grin was ear to ear.

Jake snorted and choked on his wine while Cassie's eyes widened as she held up her glass to hide a smirk.

I speared Tobias with a look. His mouth was set in a firm line and he kept his gaze focused solely on Marco.

{I swear to you, I in no way, shape, or form, said that.}

I raised an eyebrow and he risked a glance over. Looked away again.

{Said that...exact wording. There may have been a... a _brief_, _very_ brief, implication. Very brief. Almost like it didn't happen.}

He glanced over. Away.

{Except it did.}

I sighed inwardly. We may have fought a war together but these still were nineteen-year-old boys. Give them some time alone, a drink or two, get them a little buzzed and I'm sure they'd talk about more than I cared to hear. Still, I already planned on interrogating Tobias tomorrow morning, that was just one more thing I could get out of him. Besides, I'd had worse things both implied and outright said about me, why not have a little fun with it?

I smiled as sweetly as I could at Marco before turning it into a pout. "Oh Marco, I don't think that's something you'd want to know about me."

"It is very much actually."

"Hmmm, how can I put it in a way you'll understand?"

"Put it any way you want and I'll try to figure it out. I'm okay with guessing. As many times as it takes."

"Well, you are a fan of the Rocky movies, yes? You've seen Rocky four?"

"I have literally knelt, and prayed to that movie."

"Well, think of me as Ivan Drago."

"Tall, blond, and terrifying?"

"No. I'd break you."

His jaw dropped. "That is the hottest thing I have ever heard."

"I'd believe it. Now. Get. Out."

Marco downed the last of his wine and set his glass down on the table with a loud clink. "Well, I can officially die happy. Awesome. Best of luck Bird-boy!" He called back over his shoulder.

"Did-not-need-to-heeaaarrr-thaaaat." Jake said in a singsong voice as he got up to file out after Marco. Cassie stood up after him and winked at me on her way past.

"Just remember," she said in a low voice, "Dead men can't testify." She grinned and half-shoved, half-followed Jake out the door.

I turned and pinned Tobias, who was now standing, with my gaze. He held up his hands. "I can explain every word that was just uttered...to a degree...more-or-less."

I shook my head. "No, you'll explain in the morning. Tonight went well, and it's going to continue to go well. But do not think for a second that what's about to go down lets you off the hook tomorrow."

**Chapter 38**

I opened my eyes and rolled over to see Tobias, still asleep. Good. I pulled the blanket off me and got up to kneel over him, one knee on either side of his ribs.

He groaned and smiled, eyes still closed. {Well, good morning to you too,} he said, stretching. {Plans for breakfast?}

I leaned forward to pin his arms above his head with all my weight.

"Wipe that smirk off your face. This is the part where I get pissed."

His grin faded immediately and he opened his eyes to look into mine, maybe see if I was joking. I knew from the look that crossed his face he could tell right away that I wasn't.

{Oh.}

"What the hell happened last night?"

I felt him shift uncomfortably beneath me. "Well, look, we were just coming back from having drinks, and Marco mentioned he was surprised I turned human, even for you, and I just-"

I slapped him on the chest. "Don't be smart. So you told your best friends that you and your wife have a sex life. Shockingly, I don't care about that. That's what couples are supposed to have and what friends talk about," I said sternly. "I mean the Ellimist. The others might have bought it, or at least been willing to let it drop but I'm not. The Ellimist doesn't do freebies. And you wouldn't have yelled 'Damn it!' over a quote-unquote wedding gift."

He frowned. "No, I suppose I wouldn't have."

"So what was it?" I pressed.

He looked up at me sadly. "The Ellimist made it sound like you died."

"_What?!_"

"I me- ouch! Rach! Arms!"

"Sorry." I let go of his arms and leaned back. I had tensed considerably at that last comment.

He propped himself up on his elbows. "Well, I mean, not literally, obviously, not here," he backpedaled. "But, the way the Ellimist said it, I think you were supposed to." He looked up at me with worry in his eyes. "He didn't give me my morphs as a wedding gift, he did it as a return favour. Because I saved his happy accident."

"His what?"

"His happy accident." He smiled sadly. "You. He said the rest of us, the other Animorphs and me, we were all fated to be there. You just happened to be. And the way he said it, it sounded like you weren't supposed to make it. You've seen things the way he sees them. We all have. Every possible angle. Every decision leading to a hundred possibilities. And I think, from at least one of those angles, one or more of those possibilities, you died on the Blade Ship." He grimaced. "He said I changed things. Made things happen that shouldn't have. Stopped things that should've." He gave a hesitant shrug. "Just didn't seem like the sort of thing to burden you guys with last night."

I thought about that for a second. It made sense certainly. But he'd seemed pretty upset when he'd snapped out of it. Or rather when the rest of us did. The idea that I'd died in some other life, or some other timeline, or whatever it was would've been upsetting for him I knew, but I hadn't died in this one, he should've been happy enough with that. I still sensed there was something more to be said but I knew if I pressured him now, he was likely to resist. He'd gotten back to his normal self when it came to showing emotions over the last year, but he still knew how to go blank-slate when he needed to. I decided to drop it for now. Maybe he was telling it all. Maybe I could get a little more out of him later.

I leaned in and kissed him. "Look, Tobias, whatever happened there, or then, or wherever and whenever that was, it didn't happen here and now. Look," I pushed him back down, grabbed his right hand and held it up against my face. "I'm here, I'm good. You don't need to worry."

He smiled and caressed my cheek. "I know," he said, "It's just...it was just the sort of thing I didn't need to think of. The outcome I didn't want to be reminded of."

I smiled back. "That was a possibility. This is the reality." I leaned back in. "How about I remind you of this?"

**Chapter 39  
****Tobias**

I felt a pressure as Rachel got up to kneel over me. I groaned and stretched. {Well, good morning to you too.} I said, with a grin. {Plans for breakfast?}

I felt her pin my arms above my head. Well this was a good start to-

"Wipe that smirk off your face. This is the part where I get pissed."

_Uh-oh._

I stopped smiling as I opened my eyes. Looked up at her. She fixed me with that icy blue stare. Oh, yeah. She was pissed.

{Oh.}

"What the hell happened last night?"

I squirmed. "Well, look, we were just coming back from having drinks, and Marco mentioned he was surprised I turned human, even for you, and I just-"

I felt a sting as she slapped me on the chest. "Don't be smart. So you told your best friends that you and your wife have a sex life. Shockingly, I don't care about that. That's what couples are supposed to have and what friends talk about," she said seriously, "I mean the Ellimist. The others might have bought it, or at least been willing to let it drop but I'm not. The Ellimist doesn't do freebies. And you wouldn't have yelled 'Damn it!' over a quote-unquote wedding gift."

I thought about that for a second. "No, I suppose I wouldn't have."

"So what was it?" She asked.

_Crap._ I knew I had to tell her more but I still didn't want to spill it all. We had a war-crime tribunal to testify at tomorrow, if I told her what the Ellimist told me there's no way she could concentrate. She'd sit there on the stand and ignore every question that came at her as she worried about me. Still, I needed to say more. And I needed it to be honest. To be the sort of thing I would've hid last night. "The Ellimist made it sound like you died."

"_What?!_"

"I me- ouch! Rach! Arms!" My forearms began to burn as she tensed and squeezed.

"Sorry." She let go of my arms and leaned back so she was kneeling over me but straight up.

I propped himself up on my elbows and caught her eyes. "Well, I mean, not literally, obviously, not here," I tried to make my tone less worrying. "But, the way the Ellimist said it, I think you were supposed to." I looked up at her. "He didn't give me my morphs as a wedding gift, he did it as a return favour. Because I saved his happy accident."

"His what?"

"His happy accident." I remembered the way he said that. Rachel was everything to me. No way it was an accident. "You. He said the rest of us, the other Animorphs and me, we were all fated to be there. You just happened to be. And the way he said it, it sounded like you weren't supposed to make it. You've seen things the way he sees them. We all have. Every possible angle. Every decision leading to a hundred possibilities. And I think, from at least one of those angles, one or more of those possibilities, you died on the Blade Ship." I dreaded even the thought of that thought. The idea that I could've lost her years ago. I knew I'd still just be perched in a tree cursing my luck and every deity I could think of instead of lying in bed with the woman I loved. And it was a reality I refused to even consider. "He said I changed things. Made things happen that shouldn't have. Stopped things that should've." I shrugged slightly. "Just didn't seem like the sort of thing to burden you guys with last night."

She gave me a look. It was similar to the one she gave me last night. She wanted to believe me but thought there might be more. But for now at least, she seemed willing to let it slide.

She leaned forward and kissed me. "Look, Tobias, whatever happened there, or then, or wherever and whenever that was, it didn't happen here and now. Look," She put her hands on my shoulders and pushed me back against the bed, grabbed my right hand and held it up to her cheek. "I'm here, I'm good. You don't need to worry."

I smiled and rubbed my thumb across her cheek. "I know," I said softly, "It's just...it was just the sort of thing I didn't need to think of. The outcome I didn't want to be reminded of."

She smiled that winning smile at me. "That was a possibility. This is the reality." She moved her hands across my chest. "How about I remind you of this?"

**Chapter 40**

We left our room and ran into Jake and Cassie in the elevator.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

Jake gave us a bleary-eyed look and covered a yawn with his fist so Cassie answered.

"We're on our way down for a quick breakfast. Then I figure Rachel and I can go shopping while you, Marco, and Jake go pick-up Ax at the airport."

I felt Rachel stiffen beside me. "Excuse me, did you just volunteer to go shopping with me?"

Cassie shrugged. "Well, I figure I'm going one way or another. I assume you might be a bit more gentle with me if I volunteer for it...you will be, right?" She asked hopefully.

Rachel shrugged. "It's possible I could be persuaded to. You're on the right track anyway."

The elevator went down another two floors and stopped. Marco grinned as the doors opened and he saw us all standing there. Not one of us looking as happy to be awake as he was.

"Well, well, well," He said, way too cheery, "Looks like you guys all just rolled out of bed. That's surprising," He winked at Jake as Cassie looked at the wall, before turning and staring at Rachel and I, "Or not."

Rachel swatted at him.

{Remind me to smack you later.}

"Just why are you so damn chipper Marco?"

"I live the Hollywood lifestyle there pretty lady. I go to parties that start after the first ones finish at two. I got a full seven hours sleep last night. I'm ready to roll."

Jake grunted. "I'm ready for breakfast."

"Ha, ha! I bet you are," Marco slapped him on the back then turned to me. "How about you Richthofen? You make it out for your premiere flight yet?"

I stared. "What did you just call me?"

"It was the real Red Baron's real name. I looked it up, figured I'd try it out. Bird-boy's just starting to feel so...dated."

"And what's wrong with just plain ol' 'Red Baron'?"

"Just said I was trying it out was all. But now that I've said it out loud, gotta admit, not a huge fan. German names might sound badass but roll off the tongue they do not."

We all grinned and stepped off the elevator as it arrived at the first floor.

"Breakfast is served!"

**Chapter 41**  
**Rachel**

Ooohhh, French toast. Strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream. I hadn't realized it before but I was _starving_. I looked over and saw Tobias chatting with Cassie as they picked their way through the various goodies laid out. Jake was over pouring himself a cup of coffee, just trying to shake himself awake. I looked for Marco before I felt a presence at my right shoulder. I turned and saw him standing very close. He looked at me.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Well what have you found out from Tobias since I last saw you? Don't tell me you haven't already tried to pry it out of him yourself. I know you wouldn't have left it at 'wedding gift'."

I hesitated and he noticed. "Well?"

I sighed. I felt bad telling someone what Tobias had told me in confidence but maybe Marco could help me get more out of him. We continued as we made our way through the breakfast buffet. "Fine, but keep it to yourself." He nodded.

"The Ellimist didn't give Tobias back his other...forms, for lack of a better word, as a wedding gift, he did it because Tobias saved me. His 'happy accident'."

A confused look swept across Marco's face. "His what?"

"His happy accident. Apparently out of the six of us, I was the only one with no connection to the war in some way or another, I just happened to be there. And Tobias said that the way the Ellimist made it sound, I was supposed to die on the Blade Ship. So, Tobias saves me, the Ellimist rewards him. Like with the Hork-Bajir."

Marco thought that over for a minute. "Alright, I'll buy that, that'd explain why Tobias wasn't as happy as I thought he'd be at getting his wings back. Probably a little preoccupied with that possibility." He frowned. "But why now? Why not just do that whole maneuver when Tobias saved you in the first place? Or at your wedding if he did want to make a gift out of it?"

And right there Marco had hit what had been bugging me. I got that the Ellimist didn't see time the way we did, but he also didn't do things without a reason. He wouldn't have shown up two years late to repay a favour, or three months late with a gift without a reason. "Well, maybe that's something you can get out of him."

Marco gave me a look. "Can't lie Rachel, not sure how you could possibly expect me to be more persuasive than you could be with him."

I rolled my eyes. "If it was something good, he would've told me. Which means it's probably something bad. Remember the Pemalite ship? The AMR? The time he came after me on the freaking Blade ship? The stupid idiot's going to protect me even if it costs him his own ass."

Marco gave me a look of alarm. I'd kind of gotten a bit harsh towards the end there.

I sighed. "Sorry, it's just...everything he's been through and he shrugs it off if he thinks one of us will get hurt. Me, especially. He got some bad news, I'm sure of it. But he'll bite the bullet before he so much as causes one of us to sweat." I threw up my hands and almost dumped a half-plate of strawberries on myself for the trouble. "It just pisses me off sometimes. It's like he forgets that seeing him hurt isn't any better for the rest of us. Sure as hell not me."

Marco nodded thoughtfully. "He loves you, what's he supposed to do?"

I gave him a look.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Look, I didn't get to do the whale thing and I wasn't on the Blade Ship, but I heard him being tortured on the AMR mission same as you. Remember that one?

How could I forget? Hearing him scream, and beg, and bluster. Being forced to wait until we knew the Visser was gone. Within spitting distance of saving him and we had to let him suffer.

Marco must have seen the look on my face. "Exactly, you weren't the only one with nightmares." He looked pensive for a moment. "Alright, I know security from the ICC made arrangements with Jake to go pick up Ax from the airport-"

I raised an eyebrow.

"-what? They made them for us too. I just made sure to shut them down. I have enough security in my life. I kind of miss the danger to a point. We don't need added security anymore than we needed a military flight. Believe it or not I do on occasion like my privacy."

I grinned, same old Marco.

"Besides, Ax would've probably just had his own people bring him in but the UN wasn't about to risk an interplanetary incident with some fanatic attacking an Andalite Prince because human security was too lazy to bother trying to protect him. _Anyway,_ I'll see if maybe Tobias'd be down for a flight on the way out instead. See if I can weasel something out of him."

"You'll only get to weasel something out of him if you tell him that you won't tell me."

"Well then Xena, looks like you have to choose what takes a hit. The integrity of my word, or your husband."

I smiled lightly. "Thanks Marco." I reached to give him a pat on the shoulder but he deflected it gently and handed me an orange juice.

"Easy woman, there might be Dutch models watching. Don't ruin my chances."

**Chapter 42**  
**Tobias**

We finished breakfast quickly and pretty much silently, hungry as we were. It would've been closer to dinner almost back home and we were all famished. We had barely finished when Marco stood and clapped his hands together. "Alright boys, Ax lands in thirty minutes, shall we get going?"

Jake groaned. "Fine, but I'm catching a ride in the Humvee. I'm tired enough without morphing for this."

"Fair enough," Marco stated quickly. "How about you Red Baron? Up for flexing those wings again?" He stopped and turned towards Rachel. "Unless you were hoping to be his first of course?"

"I don't think this'll destroy our relationship," she winked at me before standing up and pointing at Cassie. "Well, shall we? Today's our last chance. It's nothing but time in the courts starting tomorrow."

Cassie looked up hesitantly. "Well, I mean it's still-"

"Right," Rachel broke in, "I have to stop making it sound like a question." She reached over and grabbed Cassie's wrist. "Let's go." She dragged Cassie around the table before turning and blowing me a kiss.

{Love you too.}

She grinned.

"Alrighty Jake, meet you at the airport?" Marco inquired.

"Sounds good." He wandered out of the hotel into the waiting Humvee that took off with a squeal.

"Shall we?" Marco asked.

"Why should I? Seeing as you ignored me yesterday."

"You mean your alternate pleading and threatening, for me not to mention the whole naughty thing to Rachel? I think that's the fastest I've ever heard someone go from 'Please dude' to 'I'll kill you' to date."

"For all the good it did."

He grinned. "Flying, Baron, flying. Look me in the eyes and tell me you're gonna say no."

I sighed. We went up to mine and Rachel's room and stood out on the balcony. I concentrated and felt myself begin to shrink. Oh how I'd missed this. I melted into my red-tailed hawk as Marco went osprey. We shook ourselves free from our outer clothes and took flight, headed back to where we'd landed just yesterday.

{AHhahahahahaha!} I crowed. OH MAN! I had _missed this_!

{Good to be back?} Marco asked with a laugh in his voice.

{Oh man, you have no idea.}

We flew on for a bit. Marco, mostly staying at the level, myself, dipping, twisting, diving, and just generally testing my old skills.

{So what's the real reason?}

I dropped about six feet before I recovered. {Come again?}

He huffed. {I'm starting to feel insulted. The Ellimist doesn't do gifts Tobias. He does favours for returns and even those are shady at best. No way he just lets you fly again as a treat.}

{What did Rachel tell you?} I had seen them near one another at breakfast. I had figured it was pointless small talk, same as the rest of us but I was beginning to believe otherwise.

{Rachel didn't need to tell me anything. I saw the way you looked at her last night. When the Ellimist unfroze us. Or you. Or however the hell he views it. You were like a pendulum dude. You went from no emotions to too obvious. He told you something. Something bad.}

Damn. I knew I'd given her a look that meant too much. I had just hoped I was the only one who saw it. Apparently not. {He said...well, implied, that she died.}

{Uh...?}

{That I changed something. That she died. Not here. But in another time.}

{Yeah? Well she didn't. He also implied one time that the Yeerks would take over our planet. They didn't do that either. I didn't see that look on your face then.}

{Yeah? Well, expressions weren't exactly my forté at that time.}

{I stand by it.}

Freaking Marco. I liked him better when he was telling jokes than reminding us of why he was in some ways as perceptive as Cassie, the most perceptive of us, has ever been.

{So why tell you what that is?}

{Because you need to tell someone and I know you wouldn't tell Rachel.}

{And why would I tell you something I wouldn't tell Rachel?}

{We both know the answer to that.}

I sighed. {Fine. This stays with us?}

He was silent for a moment. {Unless I figure it directly impacts one of us more than just you, then yes.}

{He said I'd be hurt.}

{What?}

{That's it. He said I'd be hurt. No, specifics, not even a general idea. Just that. When he said he gave me my powers as a return favour, I asked why now. He said because I didn't need them before. As in I might need them now. And then he said I'd be hurt. That's it.}

{That's it? Not when, where, how?}

{You now officially know as much as I do.}

He was silent for a while. Then, {Fine. This stays between us. For now. But after this tribunal is over you tell Rachel, at the bare minimum. I won't spill to Jake or Cassie or even Ax if you don't want. But you tell Rachel or I will. But it should come from you.}

Damn it. I knew better. {And just why is that Marco? I don't need her worried abou-}

{For a guy who just got his ability to turn into a raptor back, you're pretty shortsighted,} Marco said harshly. {Whatever's going to happen, it doesn't need to hurt _you_, to _hurt_ you. Catch my drift?}

I almost dropped out of the air. {You don't think-}

{I don't know what the hell to think. I didn't even see the Ellimist, just you turning into a bird. I can understand why you don't want her knowing that before tomorrow. I don't either. We need everyone focused, and I'm worried enough about what she might do if a defence lawyer says the wrong thing. But when this is over, she ought to know.}

We flew the rest of the way to the airport in silence. I hated that Marco had raised the possibility I had been shielding myself from, my being hurt meant indirectly. Via Rachel. I couldn't stand that thought. Talk about a rock and a hard place. Saving her changed something that either would or would not have happened if I hadn't, yet if I hadn't she would have died. So I kept her from death just to have it come back after either her or me this time. I made my decision. When the judgement was finally passed on the Visser, I'd tell everyone. The Ellimist said with my friends at my side I could prevail. And if giving them a heads-up meant Rachel might stand a better chance, I would.

We wheeled above as we saw the Humvee containing Jake roll-up, next to a parked Andalite ship, along with a convoy containg two other Humvees and a horse trailer. It was how the Andalites traveled when they were here. They didn't seem to take offence at it. Probably just considered it as best as they could expect from a primitive species.

{Shall we?}

We swept down towards the ship as a delegation of Andalites began to descend the ramp. I smiled inwardly as I saw. Six total, including Ax. Technologically advanced or not, traditions were important to Andalites and Ax had told me how six was his preferred team to work with, as it had been for years. I landed on Jake's Humvee while Marco landed beside it and began to demorph. {Come on man, don't want to say hi to the guy as yourself?}

Had I been human I would've blushed. {Uh, well, it occured to me, I haven't really had a chance to reincorporate a morphing outfit yet, so...think I'll just chill like this till we're back at the hotel.}

"Alright," he said as his mouth reformed, "But pay attention to the time and we'll find you a bathroom or something if we need to. I let you get stuck again and Rachel will take my head."

{Not really a concern anymore.}

He turned to me and I swear I managed to shrug my wings. "So, what? Three forms, no limit?"

{That'd be the idea.}

Marco shook his head and muttered under his breath. "Frigging Ellimist."

He joined up with Jake as they went to meet Ax with his guard. I fluttered down from the Humvee to land on Marco's shoulder. Carefully.

"Excuse me? Do I look tall and blond to you?"

{You look like what I'd get if I wished for 'tall and blond' on a Monkey's Paw.}

He opened his mouth to say something then shut it. "Alright, that was a pretty good double burn. I'll let that go."

We met Ax and his guards halfway across the distance between his ship and the convoy. Jake started.

"Prince Aximili," he said formally.

{Jake, formerly known as Prince,} Ax responded.

Had I been human my jaw would have hit the ground. Luckily Marco's did it hard enough for both of us. "Ax! Please tell me that was a sincere and uneducated phrasing!"

{It was an attempt at humour Marco,} Ax responded seriously, {I have read of a man named in a similar fashion on Earth and-}

Marco threw up his hands. "Doesn't matter! Best one I've heard from you yet."

{Thank you Marco, it is good to see you again as well.} He swivelled one stalk eye at me curiously.

{Hey Ax-man. Bet you weren't expecting this eh?}

All four of his eyes came up to look at me in a heartbeat. {Tobias? But...it cannot be! Surely your people have not-}

{No, Ax-man, my people have not. It's just the same as last time.}

He hesitated for a moment. {Ellimist,} he hissed.

{That's the one.}

Jake broke in with a weak grin on his face. "'Kay guys, let's head on back. We can catch up at the hotel. I'm feeling a bit better, up for a flight?"

A large guard stepped closer from one of the Humvees with his hand outstretched. "Sorry sir, but we have orders. Prince Aximili's guard may fly overwatch or join him as he sees fit, but he rides with the convoy until he is dropped off at the base or the preferred location and under direct protection of the Animorphs. No compromises."

{That's cool Jake, I'll ride with Ax, you and Marco can fly cover.}

"You sure?" Jake asked. "You sure you won't be bounced around too much?"

{Nah, I'll be-} I thought for a second. Could it be? I fluttered off Marco to land a few feet away and concentrated. Felt my talons turn to hooves as another set of legs erupted from my chest. Well well, the Ellimist wasn't kidding about the form thing.

"Seriously?" Marco said, stunned. "_Frigging_. _Ellimist_."

I felt the same but I decided to play it off. {Well. He did say they were what made me, me. I guess there's no preferred order.} They all watched as I went straight from hawk to Andalite. After having gone from human to hawk. I was beginning to agree with Marco. Frigging Ellimist.

"You know Tobias," Marco said casually as he began to shrink, "You're still nude."

{Different context Marco. Don't make it weird.} I looked at Ax. {Mind if I join you for the ride?}

{Not at all Tobias.} He pointed at two of his guard. {Corrlan. Darrill. Go with Jake and Marco overhead. We will head towards the...} He broke off and focused his main eyes towards my tail. I let my stalk eyes follow to see a tuft of dark red fur around the blade. Great. So an all-powerful being can still be a smartass. Frigging Ellimist. I snapped my too many fingers to get his attention back on me.

{Marriott. Downtown. Corner of Warmond and Geldrop. They can follow the convoy.}

{Very well. Follow Jake and Marco. The rest of you, with us.}

Two of Ax's guards began to go _Kafit_ bird alongside Jake's falcon and Marco's osprey, while the other three followed Ax and I up into the waiting trailer. A marine locked the door behind us and I felt the trailer lurch and steadied myself on my hooves as the convoy jolted into motion.

{Your Andalite morph is an unusual one,} Ax said, rather nonchalantly given the circumstances.

{Yeah,} I muttered, {I gathered that.}

{I feel as though I have missed out on a few things.} There was a hint of a question in his tone.

{Don't worry Ax. Trial doesn't start till tomorrow. I'll get you caught up,} I confirmed.

And I started to tell him, as we headed back towards the hotel.

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**Well, I hope this has furthered the story to your satisfaction. I'm more than open to some constructive criticism. I only wanted a quick thing but I'm finding it hard to not go into detail. ****I keep having to change the chapter titles cause I never end up getting as far as I wanted. **I loved these books growing up and it just seems like a true shame to not give them the work they deserve. Anyway, thanks to all the readers and reviewers. I hope to update soon. Mucho thanks.


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